READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
SUNDAY 1 DECEMBER 2019
Matthew 24.36-44 At the beginning of Matthew 24, Jesus warns his disciples not to follow false messiahs. This is the context for the rather frightening vision of some being taken and some left behind when the Son of Man comes.
Matthew is probably writing in the AD 80s, at a time when the first generation of Jesus’ followers had died, and the early expectation of Jesus’ return (see Mark 9.1) had begun to pass. Matthew’s apocalyptic writing is less urgent than Mark’s, as he believes that the Church still has a significant job to do – as outlined in the disciples’ final commission (28.16-20). Nonetheless, he warns his readers to be watchful and alert for the coming of the Son of Man.
When they write about the return of the Son of Man, the Gospels draw on Daniel 7.13-14: ‘I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.’ It is a glorious celebration of the coming kingdom and the fulfilment of God’s plan for the whole world.
Matthew’s Gospel as a whole tells the story of the kingdom drawing near in Christ – in the present as well as the future. So we are invited to be watchful now, for the Christ who is always with us (28.20) and for the kingdom that is always drawing near, wherever he is. In the following chapter Matthew will tell the story of the sheep and the goats, challenging his readers to recognise Jesus in ‘the least of my brothers and sisters’ and to respond by caring for them in very practical ways. This is how the kingdom comes. Will we be sufficiently alert to see the crucial part that we are called to play in it?
SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2019 Revd Ray Adams
Readings: Jeremiah 23.1-6 Luke 23.33-43
SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2019
Psalm 98: Psalms is a collection of collections. The psalms were written over many centuries, stretching from the days of Solomon's temple (about 950 BC) to after the Exile (about 350 BC.) Psalms are of five types: hymns of praise, laments, thanksgiving psalms, royal psalms, and wisdom psalms. Within the book, there are five "books"; there is a doxology ("Blessed be ... Amen and Amen") at the end of each book. Worshippers are invited to sing “a new song” marking new evidence of God’s rule. He has achieved his “victory” (vv.1,-3), his saving acts on Israel’s behalf, through his power (“right hand ...”). He has shown the way of goodness, his way, to be the correct one (“vindication”, v. 2). In saving, he has “remembered” (v. 3) his commitment to “love and faithfulness” made in the Sinai covenant. All peoples see his actions in overcoming evil (and recognize his sovereignty). Vv. 4-6 invite everyone to join in worshipping him “before the King”, in his presence, i.e. in the Temple, where the liturgy is accompanied by musical instruments. In vv.7-9, the whole physical universe is invited to join in. The keynote here is one of joy and celebration as a response to God’s presence and action. Luke 21.5-19 Luke 21.5-36 is the evangelist’s version of the so-called ‘little apocalypse’ found in Mark 13. Writing after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, it is not surprising that he adapts some of what he finds (compare v.20 with the more cryptic Mark 13.14). But he is faithful to the general drift of Jesus’ apocalyptic sayings, that are less interested in predicting the future (see Luke 17.20-21) than in encouraging his followers to be resilient. With all apocalyptic writing in the Bible, while some of the imagery is unsettling and scary, the main emphasis is on the intervention of God in history, and that this is thus a reason for hope and confidence. Of course this passage comes in Luke’s gospel just prior to the events of the cross and resurrection. The darkness of the cross will lead to the glory of Easter Sunday morning, and the rejoicing of the disciples.
SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2019 Remembrance Sunday
God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46.1)
I lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121.1-2)
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40.31
What does the Lord require of you? But to do justice, and to love kindness, And to walk humbly with you God? (Micah 6.8) We meet in the presence of God, to work in love and faith For reconciliation between the nations, that all people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace.
We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow Those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away
Reading: Isaiah 40.28-31
Reading: Matthew 5:38-48
SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2019
Luke 19.1-10 Jesus was ‘passing through’ Jericho, and Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see him ‘pass that way’ (v.4). From his rejection at Nazareth, Jesus made his way to Jerusalem (13.22; 17.11), saying, ‘I must be on my way’ to die there (13.33). Zacchaeus’ name means ‘righteous’, and in encountering Jesus and following his way of generosity, Zacchaeus realises his true self as one of Abraham’s children. ‘Today’ (v.9; cf. 4.21; 23.43) engages readers with the particular responses they too must make. We know from the Book of Acts that Luke’s first readers included Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, all seeking to follow together ‘the Way of the Lord’ (Acts 18.25).
2 Thessalonians 1.1-4,11-12 Paul writes to his congregation in Thessalonica to encourage them because they are facing persecution (v. 4). He highlights their growing faith and love for one another (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1.3), which are the resources enabling them to withstand persecution, and explains that because of this, he uses them as an example to encourage others. He assures them of his prayers, and specifies that he prays that God will be able to work through them, to glorify Jesus through their works of faith.
SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 2019
Jeremiah 14.7-10,19-22 Jeremiah was active from 627 BC until the aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC. This week’s reading is drawn from a section (chapters 11-20) that interweaves the prophet’s so-called ‘confessions’ with a series of meditations that explore his thoughts and feelings, and present him as God’s true prophet. Jeremiah’s prayer for his people is informed by the same conventional wisdom found in Sirach (e.g. 35.13). God’s grace, judgement and retribution form the basis of his moral universe. Notice the imagery in verses 8 and 9, expressing the way that prophet and people experience God. Little wonder they feel god-forsaken, terrorised and broken, which the prophet sees as the consequence of their unfaithfulness. He identifies so closely with his people that he confesses their sins (vv.7,20), and acknowledges God as their only source of life and hope (v.22). He pleads with God not to return his people’s unfaithfulness like-for-like, but to be faithful to his covenant with them (v.21). 2 Timothy 4.6-8, 16-18 Paul compares his life to a race and claims that he has remained faithful despite hostility and hardship. We therefore look at how we can keep on track in our own lives with perseverance and endurance. Looking back over his ministry with all its troubles and joys, Paul could say that he had done what he was called to do and remained faithful in doing it (v. 7). As both letters to Timothy make clear, this was now what Paul expected of him Luke 18.9-14 This is not a story about comparing ourselves against one another. It is about how we bring ourselves before God and recognise the input of God as we change and grow as a person. Luke again is emphasising our relationship with God as a dynamic one which constantly challenges and encourages even closer union. In this respect we should be wary of thinking that we have ever reached the finish line and obeyed the rules, but we should always be open to the Spirit leading us further. God is not looking for human justification of past actions but an acceptance of the need for God to help us in future improvement. The Pharisee thought that he had made it and was gauging himself against the tax collector who knew that he had some journey still to make as he was gauging himself against God. God is not discounting either character — he is reaching out to both from their starting point.
SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER 2019
Genesis 32.22-31: Jacob and the angel is one of the most striking and discussed stories in the Bible. It has been read as a classic picture of a person wrestling with their beliefs and doubts. There is value in this interpretation, but it is much more physical than that. In the Old Testament, the presence of an angel is taken as a sign of God’s presence himself. Jacob in the desert wrestles with God himself and refuses to let go unless he receives a blessing. God does not hold back and even puts Jacob’s hip out of joint. Yet blessing is given, for Jacob has both dared to meet God face to face (which should have killed him!) and refused to give in, despite having no chance of winning. It is a reminder to modern listeners to dare to go deep with God; to be unafraid to ask for blessing – but also to be prepared for the cost that might entail.
2 Timothy 3.14–4.5: This section contains the best-known verse in the letter, one that functions as a mantra of identity in some sections of the Church. In context, however, chapter 3 verse 16 is just setting the scene for Paul’s continuing admonition to Timothy to remain faithful to the treasure in his living and teaching. The whole section is about the importance of guarding the truth that has been handed to Timothy, ensuring that it can be transmitted intact and untainted to those who are becoming followers of Jesus in the footsteps of Paul, Timothy and others.
Luke 18.1-8: When Jesus tells his parable of the widow and the judge, his audience would have smiled knowingly. Rabbinic literature, as well as the Bible, regularly takes poor widows and unjust judges as subjects. In Jesus’ parable, however, both come across as questionable figures. Usually, we might hope to identify with one of the characters, but it’s difficult to identify with a widow who seems motivated only by her selfish revenge. Equally, the judge seems only interested in making a quiet life for himself. Perhaps, then, Jesus is seeking to challenge our stereotypes. In the Bible, widows are typically poor and weak, but this parable’s widow is arguably wealthy enough to do nothing except harass the judge. Equally, the judge does not fear God or respect people. He responds only to the loudest voice. He will give judgement just to protect himself. Jesus’ parable reminds us that God is not like this widow or like this judge. The parable invites us to accept that the world is mixed up and messed up, just like the people in the parable. Yet, we can still find God’s kingdom, God’s justice. It is not of this world, but it still has to be discovered in messy lives.
SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER 2019
2 Kings 5.1-3, 7-15c The story of Naaman, a man with leprosy, and a great commander of the Arameans, challenges us to trust in the simplicity of the healing and grace God offers. Wisdom for this great man comes from an unexpected place – a young Israelite girl taken into servitude by Naaman on one of his raids. Her faith enables her to recognise that Naaman would be healed if he met Elisha, the successor to Elijah. When Elisha instructs Naaman to wash himself in the Jordan seven times to be healed, Naaman is unconvinced. He becomes angry, having expected some great display from Elisha. Naaman mistakenly believes that God’s power and authority is like that of a great human warrior or king, rather than like that of a washerwoman who goes to the river to wash things clean. Yet, God proves to be more like the latter than the former. When Naaman is healed in the waters of the Jordan, he recognises – as the servant girl and Elisha already know – that God’s nature is gracious, simple and unexpected. 2 Timothy 2.8-15 This extraordinary section of 2 Timothy, presented in the voice of Paul in prison, contrasts the power and authority of the Word with fruitless wrangling over words. The Word of God – Jesus Christ – is eternal and faithful, and we are called to be persistent and faithful in our faith, because God goes ahead of us. When we die for him or endure with him, we participate in his eternal life and reign. Yet, as the writer acknowledges, we can get lost in the seeming inadequacy of human words to express this truth. One doesn’t need to be a preacher to know that words can seem feeble vessels to communicate the good news. Church communities – both in Paul’s time and in our own – can tear themselves apart by wrangling over the meaning of words and ideas. The challenge, it would seem, is to keep our eyes always on the living Word who calls us to show faith, hope and love. Luke 17.11-19 The story of Jesus’ healing of those with leprosy is powerful partly because it shows how Jesus’ ministry is open to those on the edge or outside of the community. The fact that only a Samaritan with leprosy – a foreigner with whom Jesus had no covenantal bond – returns to praise God, underlines Jesus’ ministry beyond the edges of the community. This whole passage involves crossing barriers and borders – Jesus is even physically between Samaria and Judea (Galilee) – and it reveals God showing mercy with no agenda. This is mission without conversion; there is no indication that the Jews are not healed because they don’t come back to Jesus; equally, the Samaritan remains a Samaritan. His healing is simply a gift and it elicits spontaneous praise for God. Indeed, the nine were faithful in their own right. They did what they’d been told to do by Jesus, and are healed when they obey him. The Samaritan is no more virtuous than the others; perhaps because he is not part of the Jewish community, he makes different connections. He opens Jesus to a wider vision of relationship. For us, in our time, perhaps this story invites us not only to consider who is on the edge of community asking for mercy, but to be open to relationships from unexpected quarters.
SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER 2019
Luke 17.5-10 Jesus has just told his disciples that they should continually forgive those who sin against them. And their response is that this is too hard (v.5). Jesus’ answer to them is that even the tiniest smudge of faith will get them through (v.6). But he follows this up with a mini-parable about living the life of a servant. It seems that the choice to follow Jesus, to take hold of the treasure, is to embrace downward mobility. Servants do what needs to be done to ensure that everyone in the household gets what they need. And just as we begin to say, ‘hang on, this isn’t what I signed up for’, we realise that the teller of the story leads by example: he is the one who serves. He welcomes and forgives, he does good to others because it needs to be done - he models the life of a servant to us. 2 Timothy 1.1-14 There are some lovely insights into Paul and Timothy today. In his first letter, Paul had addressed Timothy as ‘my true son in the faith.’ Now he calls him ‘my dear son.’ We can see the growth in Paul’s affection. Further, he mentions that Timothy has been brought up by his grandmother and mother. Paul wants to continue to be a spiritual father to him. There is just a suggestion that, by his sheltered upbringing, Timothy may be of a naturally timid and shy nature – unlike Paul! Here Paul assures him of the constant support of his prayers and exhorts Timothy to be renewed in his courage to give a witness that is public. Paul’s usual style is to start with a negative and follow this with three positives. Here he says, ‘We did not receive a spirit of timidity, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.’ Timothy, like Paul, must not be ashamed to profess the sound teaching he received, and to do so with enduring love and faith.
What small things do we take for granted? Where do we see God’s power? How can we each make an impact on the world?
SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2019
Psalm 65.5b-13 The Reverend Wanda Copeland writes these words about this psalm: “The psalmist expounds the characteristics of God. Throughout this short psalm selection, God is the one who acts to make the earth fertile and productive. Beginning with verse 9, it is clear to the writer that God is about verdancy. God¹s presence is about making things grow and produce fruit of all kinds. Whenever God comes to the earth, the evidence of God's care is positive in the most fundamental life-giving ways. God comes "that we might have life and have it more abundantly." In this particular praise, the writer acknowledges that God is the one who brings rain, causes the biological reactions that cause grain to grow and the variety of life to even exist. God is about life. God is engaged in making the experience of life plenteous. The river of God is full of water, life-giving water.”
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.
SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2019
Amos 8.4-7 Composed during the eighth century BC, the book of the prophet Amos is among the earliest written texts in the Bible. What stands out in this work is its absolute focus on God’s requirement that the people of Israel and Judah show mercy and demonstrate justice. In short, Amos’ people may be ‘God’s chosen’, but that does not free them from the obligation to play fair. Amos warns the people against false dealing, trampling on those in need and ruining the poor. God’s justice and covenant is shown in practical ways: it is about giving fair prices and sharing out the goodness of the land with fair measures. Amos’ prophecy is a counsel against greed, and – by emphasising the importance of sabbath rest – a direction to place commerce in its proper place. He suggests that when we take God seriously and take the rest he offers us, we shall live more justly and kindly in the world.
1 Timothy 2.1-7 A good number of scholars believe that the text of 1 Timothy was not written by St Paul, but by someone writing much later, using his name to claim his authority. If this is true, it helps us to understand some of the emphases in the text. This passage has Paul asking Timothy to ensure that prayer and thanksgiving is offered for everyone, including kings and all in high authority. This suggests that the Christian faith might be moving away from being a post-Jewish sect or underground movement, to one that is working hard to become suitable for civic, almost polite, purposes. Yet, if this seems to be a ‘smoothed out’ Christianity, the writer’s suggestion that Jesus died as a ‘ransom’ for all is an indication that emerging Christianity has global claims. If it is attentive to the civic dimensions of religion, it is also claiming that all – kings, authorities, presidents – are secondary to Christ Jesus. He calls all to be saved.
Luke 16.1-13 In this passage, Jesus speaks to the disciples rather than those who are on the fringes or outside his movement. His hearers are those who are on the inside. This background only adds to the strange and disconcerting effects of one of the most puzzling parables. For the parable seems to elevate the cunning displayed by the dishonest manager to the level of virtue. If those around Jesus saw themselves as part of God’s holy community – a community living out God’s deepest calling – what might they have thought when they heard this story of cunning? While modern readers may be tempted to imagine that the master in the story represents God, it is not clear that Jesus’ first disciples would. The master in the story is simply too worldly, for he commends the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. On the other hand, this might be a parable that we who live in a difficult and compromised world need to hear. It is easy for Christians to idolise purity and being ‘holier than thou.’ The real challenge is to find a way to be faithful to God in a world where all of us are caught up in unjust and unfair systems. Perhaps this parable challenges us to be clear about who our master is – is it money or God? – and to be realistic about how we serve the Lord.
All three readings remind us that we must live out our faith within the constraints of a compromised world. Amos’ understanding of living faithfully is grounded in practical faith. Equally, the writer of 1 Timothy commends a prayer practice that includes not only the humble and excluded, but the powerful. Meanwhile, Jesus challenges and puzzles us in equal measure to examine how we are to be faithful to God in a dishonest world.
Where are the challenges today between love of money and love of God?
What could we do as a church to redress the balance?
SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2019
1 Timothy 1.12-17 In many modern forms of Christianity, ‘sin’ and ‘sinfulness’ are often seen as personal failings or an immoral act. When we read the line, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’, we might picture this as Jesus saving individuals from their moral failings. While there is truth in that claim, it is worth remembering that in both Jewish culture and the early Christian contexts, ‘sin’ is less about moral failings and more about what breaks relationships within the community and therefore separates us from God. For example, when the writer of 1 Timothy talks about being a ‘blasphemer’ he is not talking about ‘swearing’ (as we might think) but about a violent work of separation. It would be like someone saying they want to kill God. When we put it in these terms, we can begin to appreciate the scale of grace and forgiveness the writer receives. In his honest confession, he finds the abundance of God’s love. Luke 15.1-10 These are two of Luke’s most striking parables, often overshadowed by the parable of the ‘lost son’, which follows them. They are so familiar that we may need to see them with fresh eyes. We can do this if, for once, we set aside the introduction and the closing sentences of each parable. This allows us to see that there is no mention of sinners in the parable of the ‘lost sheep’. Indeed, while we often think of this parable as being about God saving ‘outcasts’, it makes no sense to think of a sheep as an outcast. Sheep do not ‘sin’. At most they wander off. For Jesus’ largely peasant audience, to have 100 sheep would be extraordinary. His audience might wonder how someone could have so many and yet still notice the one per cent loss. So, perhaps, one way of reading this parable is as an invitation to be attentive to the smallest details. Who are the one per cent in our community we might take note of and seek out? Equally, Jesus’ audience would have been stunned at the wealth of the woman in the second parable: 10 silver coins! She was so wealthy, why would she even notice the lost coin? Yet she finds it and celebrates with her female neighbours. Once again, Jesus explodes our ideas about God. Here we find a picture of God who is like a wealthy woman who is so delighted in finding what is lost that she shares her abundance with her neighbours.
SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2019
Reading: Jeremiah 18: 1 - 11
Reading: Psalm 1
Luke 14: 25-33
SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2019
Hebrews 13.1-8,15-16 For many years, it was believed that the Letter to the Hebrews was written by Paul. However, the scholarly consensus is that its authorship is unknown. Whoever wrote it, this letter to Jewish Christians is a masterwork that brings out Jesus’ status as God’s Son and ‘great high priest’ with creative genius. Yet, as this passage shows, it is also tender and personal. The writer asks his readers to show ‘mutual love’ and asserts the need for hospitality to strangers. In a context where the readers may have faced persecution or pressure to give up their faith, it is moving. To show hospitality is a deep Jewish virtue, and as they faced stress, perhaps these Jewish Christians had become more inward-looking. The letter writer desired that the Hebrews remain faithful to one thing: Jesus Christ, who as Son of God and great high priest is ‘the same yesterday and today and for ever’. Here, the cosmic meets the realities of people’s lives and challenges them to model God’s generous hospitality.
Luke 14.1,7-14 When we read this passage, we might be inclined to treat Jesus’ apparent explanation of the parable – that all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted – as the only way of reading it. However, like all parables, it allows other interpretations. If we consider it without the explanation, we see that this ‘wedding banquet’ story leaves the guests entirely in the hands of their host. It is in the host’s gift to decide our place. This challenges ideas of ‘earning’ our just deserts – the belief that if we do good, or are wealthy and so on, we shall be placed in the seat of honour. If this parable is about God and his kingdom, it is a reminder that we are always utterly dependent on his generosity, not our presumed value. This idea might have disturbed Jesus’ followers, whose world was bound up in complex, personal and cultural relationships, in which family, friendship and relatives took priority over relationships with the stranger. Jesus disrupts this picture. In claiming that those with lesser claims on us – the poor and so on – should be invited to the banquet, Jesus reminds his audience that we are called to be like God. Just as we can never repay God’s abundant gifts to us, we should model community that offers what we have to those who can never pay us back in kind.
SUNDAY 25 AUGUST 2019
Matthew 7.21-29 The story that Jesus told of the two builders is well known and well loved. We look at it this week and remind ourselves of the need to put God first and to build our lives on his love. If we choose to trust in God, our faith can withstand any pressures. With a few exceptions, the Gospel readings from now until Advent will be from Matthew, the Gospel of the year, in lectionary terms. Today's passage comes from the very end of the Sermon on the Mount, and falls into three distinct parts. The first two conclude Jesus' actual teaching with a two-fold emphasis on obedience. The principles are given and then illustrated by a story. With the exception of v 6 and vv 7-12, the whole of this last section of teaching, recorded in chapter 7, has focused on the theme of judgement: do not judge others unless you are prepared to be judged yourself; the distinction between the wide and the narrow gates; distinguishing by the outcome. Thus when Jesus now refers to people calling him 'Lord, Lord,’ he is speaking about 'that day' when he will be judging them. They will be judged, not on their dramatic deeds or religious observance, but on their obedience to God's will. What is important is the foundation upon which they have built their lives – and this is the point of the following story. To hear is not sufficient – what is heard must be translated into lifestyle. The last section is Matthew's own comment on the people's reception of Jesus' teaching, and the contrast between his authority and that of the teachers of the law to whom they were accustomed. Later, those teachers will question the source of that authority. Matthew frequently comments on the astonished or amazed reaction of those who listened to Jesus. Other reactions he identifies were of fear and murderous anger.
Deuteronomy 11.18-21 The book of Deuteronomy sometimes feels like one, very long, sermon. It is better understood as a series of distinct speeches, each with its own theme and focus. This text is both a summary and a challenge to the people – will they obey or will they turn away? This stark alternative is a familiar theme of Deuteronomy and it is an early example of a form of teaching (commonly known as the idea of the 'two ways') that is commonly found in Jewish wisdom literature and in the teaching of Jesus and his followers. The promise of blessing as a reward for obedience is closely allied with Israel's occupation of the land and expulsion of other nations. However, the focus of the text is on the choice that, at the end of Moses' sermon, the Israelites are challenged to make. For those who choose the way of blessing, these verses show that obedience to God's commands is not simply a matter of external behaviour, but of inward disposition. The law has its place first and foremost in the heart and soul, and is to shape the life of the nation to the extent that its teaching is passed from one generation to the next.
Ephesians 4.11-16 Paul urges the Ephesians to be humble, gentle, patient and loving. He reminds them of the gifts that God gives to a community, to equip them to be one body in Christ, with each part working together properly for the good of the whole.
SUNDAY 18 AUGUST 2019
Hebrews 11.29–12.2 These verses conclude the list of people whose faith is an example to the people of God. The stories of the crossing of the Red Sea and the fall of Jericho are central to Israel’s identity as the chosen people, but there is a twist: the only woman named in this list is Rahab, who belonged to Jericho, not Israel, and who is identified here as a prostitute. The following verses scan centuries of Old Testament history. The people’s faith is compared to the far greater gift of perfection in Christ (v.40). In the next two verses, hearers are invited to imagine themselves as runners in a race, cheered on by a crowd of thousands, and focusing on the lord of the race – not the governor or emperor, presiding from the seat of honour, but Jesus himself, the ultimate victor, who is now sitting with God.
Jeremiah 23.23-29 Jeremiah struggled throughout his career with court prophets who said what they thought the king wanted to hear, and refused to accept Jeremiah’s word as coming from the Lord. Here, the word of the Lord condemns such prophets, who dress up their false messages with the language of dreams. Because God has ‘God’s eye vision’ (vv.23-24), there is no escape for deceitful prophets. Prophets who speak God’s word faithfully gain God’s approval, whatever the human response may be. The passage ends with three images that highlight this difference. Straw is nothing, wheat is valuable. Fire burns rubbish but cannot harm metal. A hammer breaks a rock apart to shape it for building or to reveal minerals inside. The text highlights the differences between those who pursue self-interest and those who choose to follow God.
SUNDAY 11 AUGUST 2019
Hebrews 11.1-3,8-16 The author defines ‘faith’ through two parallel phrases that link present certainty with a promise that is, as yet, unfulfilled. The style recalls the Hebrew tradition of parallelism, seen often in the Psalms, where an idea is emphasised by being repeated twice in different words. The language, however, draws on Greek thinking. The word translated ‘assurance’ refers to something that gives definite form and substance to an abstract idea, while the word translated ‘conviction’ is also used to mean ‘evidence’ or ‘proof’ arising from debate. This helps us to make sense of the stories of faith told in the second part of the reading. Abraham’s faith is far from abstract. It led him to abandon his home and live as a nomad. Eventually, his faith and Sarah’s was proved to be genuine through the gift of a son. Their faith led them to look forward to a home that God would give them, and the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to share this vision and hope, even though it means living as exiles, strangers and foreigners on this earth (v.13). Luke 12, vv 32-40 This passage is part of the long section of teaching and preparation as Jesus and the disciples travel towards Jerusalem. Jesus has just reminded his disciples that if God cares for the birds and the flowers, how much more will God care for the disciples, who are destined to receive the kingdom (12.22-31). So now he tells them, ‘Do not be afraid’. This is one of the most common reassurances Jesus offers his disciples, in a context – part of a tiny community in a large, hostile world – where it must have been very easy to feel afraid. Their confidence depends on God’s plan to give them the kingdom, and that confidence is life-changing. Jesus uses three ways to help the disciples understand how their lives must change. First, he talks about the purses they carry (no pockets in first-century clothes!). They will wear out, he reminds them, and the disciples’ hard-won cash will fall through the holes, or someone will pinch it – so why not make good use of the money by helping others and building up credit with God? Second, he talks about active waiting. Many early Christians were slaves and would have known all about waiting anxiously for the master to come home from a party – would he be drunk or violent? He would certainly be expecting immediate attention. The story Jesus tells would have taken their breath away. When God comes to inaugurate the kingdom, he will tell the slaves to sit down and will serve them himself, ‘dressed for action’ to care for them – the phrase ‘fasten his belt’ (v.37) is the same in Greek as ‘dressed for action’ (v.35). This implausible role-reversal could well have raised a big laugh from Jesus’ hearers. Finally, Jesus tells another ‘how much more’ parable. Poor people’s houses were vulnerable, their mud walls easy to dig through, and people needed to take precautions. If householders take care to avoid problems, how much more should the disciples be alert for the good news of the coming of the Son of Man?
SUNDAY 4 AUGUST 2019
Luke 12.13-21 What matters most in life? The man who approached Jesus with a problem about inheritance was anxious about receiving a fair share with his brother, and it was common for rabbis to resolve this kind of issue. However, Jesus challenges his listeners to reflect on their priorities. He goes on to tell the parable of the rich fool. It is worth noticing how many times the word ‘I’ occurs. This wealthy farmer is wholly self-centred and completely isolated. He pays no attention to those who have worked for him in producing this harvest, nor does he consider the potential impact on the local economy of large amounts of stored grain. Above all, he forgets that whoever plants a seed, it is God who gives the growth. God’s call comes as a stark reminder of the realities of life and its inevitable end, and thus challenges the hearers to reflect on their priorities. Colossians 3.1-11 The language of the first four verses smacks of other-worldliness, with its heavenly Jesus and its call to heavenly-mindedness. But abandoning old ways of living is not about detachment from everyday life. There is no place for ‘earthly’ things now that believers find their true being in God (vv.3, 5-9). But the old ways – including greed – exhaust social capital as well as individual character. The ‘new self’ is humanity renewed in the image of Christ, and baptism is one of its principal symbols. Its ritual is reflected in the language of clothing (vv.9 and 10). Old ways are ‘stripped off’ before putting on the clothes of a new social being. Here those who are divided by culture, race, belief and social status are drawn into one, because ‘Christ is all and in all’ (v.11). And, as we read further, the new clothes are displayed in the Christ-like qualities that give shape to the body, both as church and household (3.12 – 4.1). If the rich man in Jesus’ parable is soulless in his greed, this re-clothed humanity is soul-full in the way it parades the generosity of Christ.
SUNDAY 28 JULY 2019
Genesis 18.20-32
The Lord is present on earth already for the conversation with Abraham, explored last week (the story of Abraham, Sarah, and the three angelic visitors). Now the focus changes to consider the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which have attracted the Lord’s attention. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is the failure of hospitality (see Ezekiel 16.49-50). This provides the context for an exploration of the relationship between the Lord and Abraham, which is represented as one of mutual respect. Though Abraham makes his requests with caution, he continues to press the Lord until he receives the assurance he is looking for – it is characteristic of bargaining dialogues in that society. The Lord responds as a willing partner in the dialogue, ready to listen to Abraham’s point of view. This sets the tone for the ongoing relationship between Abraham and God as participants in the covenant relationship, even though they are utterly unequal in every respect.
Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)
The Scottish scholar, William Barclay, called this one of the most difficult passages that Paul ever wrote. Many metaphors and images are stacked one upon the other in these two paragraphs written primarily for Gentiles. Yet the message can be summed up in one sentence: those grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ have been forgiven all their sins through his death and resurrection. Thus, all are freed from all demands of the Jewish ritual laws and any other forms of worship or discipleship. This is discipleship rooted in Christ.
Luke 11.1-13
‘Lord, teach us to pray’ – it is a request that any Christian could make toJesus. Jesus’ response to his disciples is recorded both here and (in a slightly different form) in Matthew 6.9-13. His words begin by reminding us that we need to honour God’s holiness and the wonder of the kingdom, but then encourage us to make requests of God for the things we really need – daily bread, forgiveness and the ability to forgive others, and protection against the time of trial, a phrase that could be interpreted in many different ways for people in different contexts. The passage continues with a parable that is about a bargaining relationship with a reluctant neighbour. If we can get what we need even from someone so unwilling, how much more can we expect to receive from a God of infinite generosity! This kind of ‘how much more!’ teaching is characteristic of the rabbinic style. And the passage ends with teaching that encourages us to ask, to search, to knock, because God will give us what we need (which is not necessarily the same as what we want).
SUNDAY 21 JULY 2019
Genesis 18.1-10a God’s strategy to redeem creation began with a promise to Abram (Genesis 12.1-3). There would be land and descendants. But Abram and Sarai had no child of their own. They followed the call to leave home and go where God led, but still there was no son. In this passage, Abraham meets the Lord in the presence of three visitors. The narrative begins gently, as Abraham’s invitation to share ‘a little bread’ turns into a full-scale feast (vv.6-8). But Abraham’s hospitality is dwarfed by the generosity of his guests, who announce the fulfilment of God’s promise of a son. The reading ends with a brief image of Sarah, eavesdropping in the tent – and tells how she laughed in disbelief, before bearing a son whose name – Isaac – means laughter. Colossians 1.15-28 After the very long introductory sentence of encouragement and praise for the church in Colossae, the letter changes to become a poem or hymn of praise about Christ. The first part of the hymn (vv.15-17) presents Christ as the firstborn of all creation and the means through which all of creation comes into existence. Christ is both the creator and the goal of creation. He is elevated above creation in time and rank and yet is also the means by which creation exists and is sustained. He is a truly cosmic Christ. The second part of the hymn (vv.18-20) focuses on Christ’s role and actions as saviour. The church is elevated in this description as the body, with Christ as its head. This puts the church under the direction and authority of Christ. Reading this passage in the context of empire, the writer is making it clear that Jesus takes pre-eminence over the leader of the Roman Empire, Caesar. It is Jesus who comes first, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, He is Lord, not Caesar. This fledgling community of believers have pledged their allegiance to Christ, not Caesar. And since the church is the body of Christ, with Christ as its head, it becomes an alternative to empire. This is a radically subversive message, offering freedom from empire and instilling much confidence in this minority group. Luke 10.38-42 The passage makes clear that it was Martha who had invited and received Jesus and His disciples into her house. Martha was clearly the host from the outset and as such was working to fulfil the hospitality code of her day. She had issue with Mary, not just that she was not helping to prepare for the guests, but that she was breaking the rules; not just the rules of providing hospitality but also that she had taken the place of a man, sitting at the feet of and listening to the teaching of the Rabbi. According to the custom of the day, Martha was in the right, and her plea to Jesus was why He, as a Rabbi, was not rebuking Mary and putting her in her rightful place? Mary’s sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His teaching, was as scandalous as the Samaritan being the one who showed mercy in the story that precedes this exchange. Jesus’ response to Martha can be read as one of gentle correction rather than harsh rebuke: Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. The one thing needed is for Martha to receive the gracious presence of Jesus, to listen to His words, to know that she is valued not for what she does or how well she does it, but for who she is as a child of God.
For reflection: With our readings today Paul presents a particular vision of God, while Genesis and Colossians offer us glimpses of God in the everyday. The Roots materials offers us this picture for reflection alongside these readings.
SUNDAY 14 JULY 2019
Matthew 18.16-20 This passage is known as the “Great Commission.” It sends the disciples out into the world and comes at the very end of Matthew’s gospel, clearly implying that the Gospel doesn’t end there. But did you know that there are four “great commissions” in the Gospels and one in Acts? Those are Matthew 28.16-20, Mark 16.14-16, Luke 24.45-49, John 20.20-23 and Acts 1.6-8. Each is quite different, but the message is always all-inclusive: the disciples are to take the gospel message into ALL nations (not just to Jews or to those living in Judea and the surrounding area). This call comes with Jesus’ assurance of his supporting presence. Mark 4.1-9, 13-20 The story of the Parable of the Sower comes early within the Galilean ministry of Jesus, but it is clearly written with the mission of the early church in mind. Jesus’ ministry is used as a basis for reflecting on the ministry and outreach experience of those who worked to share the message of Christ in the decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Clearly not even Jesus enjoyed a straightforward “success” rate, yet there is faithfulness even so in being called to live out what we have received. For Reflection: Our service today is based on the Holy Habit of “Making More Disciples”. It is God who speaks to the heart and actually makes disciples. We can go out and connect with the world in a such a way that God can be present to others and connect with their lives. Today we tell the stories of: Robert Jermain Thomas……….who was one of the first missionaries to Korea. He came from our Hanover URC in Llanover, near Abergavenny. He died near Pyongyang in 1864 while seeking to take the Bible into Korea. James Scarth Gale was a missionary to Korea from the 1880s to the 1920s. He wrote many volumes about Korea, and also translated Pilgrim’s Progress into Korean. He founded Yoonjoo’s church in the middle of Seoul. He retired to Bath with his wife in 1927, where he became part of Trinity Presbyterian Church (later URC). He is buried in the Lansdown Cemetery (near Bath racecourse). The Worrall Road School, that we now know as St. John’s School, was originally The Highbury British School and was created by Highbury Church as an outreach to the slum area that was then the Quarry below Durdham Down and behind Blackboy Hill. It was all about sharing the Gospel with those who suffered social deprivation. The school was also the site where a congregation met before moving to Redland Park Church in 1861. But, what can “making more disciples” mean in the 21st century? In a sense the challenges are always the same, but then they are ever new for the current context. In a very secular and post-Christian society what might that mean?
SUNDAY 7 JULY 2019
Reading 1 – Micah 6.6-8
Readings 2 and 3: Ezekiel 34.11-16 1 John 4.7-12
SUNDAY 30 JUNE 2019
Old Testament 1 Kings 19.15-16,19-21 Elijah nears the end of his ministry. He anoints kings, but most importantly chooses his successor by throwing his mantle over the young Elisha. Elisha is torn between loyalty to his family and the call of God to venture into a new life. He shows his choice by using his animals and equipment to host a banquet for his whole town before leaving them to follow Elijah. Elisha has truly burned his bridges to embrace the new life God calls him to.
Galatians 5.1,13-25 The conclusion to Paul’s epic Bible study (Galatians 3 and 4) is that Christ has come to fulfil the promise God made to Abraham, that through his seed the world will be freed from the curse of Adam’s sin. And so, Paul concludes that it is for freedom that we have been freed. Paul holds out a choice. When he speaks of the flesh and the Spirit being opposed to each other and that we are not able to do what we want, this is not a cry of despair at our weakness, it is a statement of intent: because we are filled with the Spirit, there are things we will choose not to do, however free we are in Christ. If we are Christ followers, we will not – indeed we cannot – choose this way of life. Rather we will serve one another in love, seek the best for one another, nurture one another’s faith and help one another grow up into being the people of God.
Luke 9.51-62 Here Luke’s narrative pivots: up to this point Jesus’ activity was centred in Galilee; now the focus is Jerusalem and the rest of the Gospel is concerned with the journey there and its consequences. So, who will come with him, and what will the journey be like? Some disciples assume judgement is starting, but Jesus scotches that idea (vv.52-55). Some people want to follow him, but they vacillate – are they up for the cost of making the journey? The man who speaks of burying his father does not have a funeral to arrange but rather wants to wait until he receives his inheritance and then is financially secure enough to choose the life of faith. Jesus says we have to choose now.
SUNDAY 23 JUNE 2019
Isaiah 65.1-9
This passage reminds us of the initiative that God takes in his relationship with his people. He has compassion for them, and despite their rebelliousness, reaches out to them. The relationship is, however, a mutual one. In order for God to protect and strengthen his people, they must accept him as their God. ‘I will be your God, if you will be my people.’ God is incredibly patient, but in the end Israel must accept responsibility for their behaviour. If they continually build barriers between themselves and God by their behaviour, he cannot be their God. Despite their disobedience, God is compassionate and will be ready to renew the relationship as soon as they respond. They will not destroy their lives if they respond to God. He will raise them up to new life and they will be a new people. Their future will be assured and they will live fulfilled lives, bringing blessings on all people. God’s power is motivated by compassion as he creates life, renews it, sustains it and brings fulfilment to all people.
Galatians 3.23-29
One of Paul’s most decisive statements declares that faith in Jesus Christ has removed all barriers to a relationship with God for all who believe. He claims that the law given to Moses was like a schoolteacher disciplining us until Jesus came to make us all God’s children and heirs with Christ. Now, we are all children of Abraham and heirs of all God’s promises to Israel. The divisions that Paul describes in verse 28 were some of the most emphatic in the ancient world. While Paul himself struggled with some of the ideas of assigned roles in society in other parts of his letters, such as women not abandoning their usual attire (1 Cor.11), he clearly also sought to make real the wider vision of humanity that he had gained from his experience of God.
Luke 8.26-39
This passage is written in very dramatic, fluent Greek. Luke shows that the new covenant with God goes beyond the Jews to Gentiles who respond to him. The Gerasenes were known to be on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, with citizens who were more Greek than Semitic (hence the presence of pigs). Here, Jesus meets a man whose behaviour is a complete inversion of normality. He has demons. Demons in that culture were understood to be spirits (attitudes and behaviour) that rebelled against God, by causing people to defy the orderliness of creation and normal living. The community’s reaction to the man is to try to restrain him with chains, but this does not work. Jesus takes the initiative, and in contrast to the community, reaches out to the man and tries to relate to him. He asks the man his name, for in the culture of the time, knowing someone’s name enables one to initiate and sustain a potential relationship with that person. It gave a sort of power over the person, in that it removed the barrier of anonymity. The man answers that his name is Legion – i.e. many demons. Jesus has compassion for the man, and releases him from the possession of destructive forces by banishing them to the swine nearby, who run over the cliff into the lake. So, Jesus banishes the forces of evil and destruction into the symbolic waters of chaos that God overcame in creation. The man is no longer bound, but freed from his yoke. He returns to normality. Just as the widows’ sons were restored to their mothers and their families in the readings of the previous weeks, so too the man here is restored to his rightful place in the community. He proclaims what God has done for him in Christ, so ascribing to God his true worth as the giver and sustainer of life.
This passage reminds us of the initiative that God takes in his relationship with his people. He has compassion for them, and despite their rebelliousness, reaches out to them. The relationship is, however, a mutual one. In order for God to protect and strengthen his people, they must accept him as their God. ‘I will be your God, if you will be my people.’ God is incredibly patient, but in the end Israel must accept responsibility for their behaviour. If they continually build barriers between themselves and God by their behaviour, he cannot be their God. Despite their disobedience, God is compassionate and will be ready to renew the relationship as soon as they respond. They will not destroy their lives if they respond to God. He will raise them up to new life and they will be a new people. Their future will be assured and they will live fulfilled lives, bringing blessings on all people. God’s power is motivated by compassion as he creates life, renews it, sustains it and brings fulfilment to all people.
Galatians 3.23-29
One of Paul’s most decisive statements declares that faith in Jesus Christ has removed all barriers to a relationship with God for all who believe. He claims that the law given to Moses was like a schoolteacher disciplining us until Jesus came to make us all God’s children and heirs with Christ. Now, we are all children of Abraham and heirs of all God’s promises to Israel. The divisions that Paul describes in verse 28 were some of the most emphatic in the ancient world. While Paul himself struggled with some of the ideas of assigned roles in society in other parts of his letters, such as women not abandoning their usual attire (1 Cor.11), he clearly also sought to make real the wider vision of humanity that he had gained from his experience of God.
Luke 8.26-39
This passage is written in very dramatic, fluent Greek. Luke shows that the new covenant with God goes beyond the Jews to Gentiles who respond to him. The Gerasenes were known to be on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, with citizens who were more Greek than Semitic (hence the presence of pigs). Here, Jesus meets a man whose behaviour is a complete inversion of normality. He has demons. Demons in that culture were understood to be spirits (attitudes and behaviour) that rebelled against God, by causing people to defy the orderliness of creation and normal living. The community’s reaction to the man is to try to restrain him with chains, but this does not work. Jesus takes the initiative, and in contrast to the community, reaches out to the man and tries to relate to him. He asks the man his name, for in the culture of the time, knowing someone’s name enables one to initiate and sustain a potential relationship with that person. It gave a sort of power over the person, in that it removed the barrier of anonymity. The man answers that his name is Legion – i.e. many demons. Jesus has compassion for the man, and releases him from the possession of destructive forces by banishing them to the swine nearby, who run over the cliff into the lake. So, Jesus banishes the forces of evil and destruction into the symbolic waters of chaos that God overcame in creation. The man is no longer bound, but freed from his yoke. He returns to normality. Just as the widows’ sons were restored to their mothers and their families in the readings of the previous weeks, so too the man here is restored to his rightful place in the community. He proclaims what God has done for him in Christ, so ascribing to God his true worth as the giver and sustainer of life.
SUNDAY 16 JUNE 2019
Romans 5.1-5
Though the Christian doctrine of God as Trinity is still some way off, it is not unreasonable to claim that the theological basis of Paul’s argument is on the way to being trinitarian. These verses provide evidence that Paul can no longer conceive of God outside his revelation in Jesus and the Spirit. Paul has elsewhere described Christian prayer as Christ-shaped and Spirit-led (Romans 8.14-17). Here Paul expands his greeting (1.7) to describe the common Christian experience, the life that he calls ‘justified by faith’. This is an anticipation of the shalom (peace) that characterises God’s renewed world – ‘peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’. According to the prophets, this renewal is the fruit of God’s Spirit. Paul believes that the outpouring of the Spirit brings ‘God’s love…into our hearts’, a sign of hope that God’s new world is beginning to take shape in the reconciliation of a racially divided community.
John 16.12-15
The Gospel of John is one of the most important biblical resources for Christian belief in God as ‘Holy Trinity’. It reminds us that Christian doctrine is rooted in the story that flows into and out of Jesus, and should never be regarded as abstract or theoretical. Doctrine only has value if it gives life to our hands and feet, and the body we call ‘church’. These few verses articulate the Christian experience of the trinitarian God. In many ways this begins with the Holy Spirit – here ‘the Spirit of truth’ – because of the Spirit’s link with Jesus who is truth (see 1.17; 14.6). As Advocate, the Spirit speaks on behalf of the Father who sends him in Jesus’ name (cf. 14.26). At the same time, the Spirit speaks the words of Jesus into new situations faced by later generations of believers, and guides them into all truth. In the ‘farewell discourses’ (John 13–16), John’s Jesus repeatedly insists on a strong ethical dimension to the unfolding presence and work of God in the community of his friends. This understanding of God is less about theoretical analysis and more a way of life, rooted in the experience of the Spirit, who opens up our vision of Jesus, who embodies the sacrificial love of the Father for his world.
Though the Christian doctrine of God as Trinity is still some way off, it is not unreasonable to claim that the theological basis of Paul’s argument is on the way to being trinitarian. These verses provide evidence that Paul can no longer conceive of God outside his revelation in Jesus and the Spirit. Paul has elsewhere described Christian prayer as Christ-shaped and Spirit-led (Romans 8.14-17). Here Paul expands his greeting (1.7) to describe the common Christian experience, the life that he calls ‘justified by faith’. This is an anticipation of the shalom (peace) that characterises God’s renewed world – ‘peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’. According to the prophets, this renewal is the fruit of God’s Spirit. Paul believes that the outpouring of the Spirit brings ‘God’s love…into our hearts’, a sign of hope that God’s new world is beginning to take shape in the reconciliation of a racially divided community.
John 16.12-15
The Gospel of John is one of the most important biblical resources for Christian belief in God as ‘Holy Trinity’. It reminds us that Christian doctrine is rooted in the story that flows into and out of Jesus, and should never be regarded as abstract or theoretical. Doctrine only has value if it gives life to our hands and feet, and the body we call ‘church’. These few verses articulate the Christian experience of the trinitarian God. In many ways this begins with the Holy Spirit – here ‘the Spirit of truth’ – because of the Spirit’s link with Jesus who is truth (see 1.17; 14.6). As Advocate, the Spirit speaks on behalf of the Father who sends him in Jesus’ name (cf. 14.26). At the same time, the Spirit speaks the words of Jesus into new situations faced by later generations of believers, and guides them into all truth. In the ‘farewell discourses’ (John 13–16), John’s Jesus repeatedly insists on a strong ethical dimension to the unfolding presence and work of God in the community of his friends. This understanding of God is less about theoretical analysis and more a way of life, rooted in the experience of the Spirit, who opens up our vision of Jesus, who embodies the sacrificial love of the Father for his world.
SUNDAY 9 JUNE 2019
Acts 2.1-21 The Jewish ‘festival of weeks, the first fruits of the wheat harvest’ (Exodus 34.22) was given the Greek name Pentecost (‘fiftieth’) because it took place fifty days after the end of the spring Passover festival (Leviticus 23.16). Jesus observed Passover with his disciples before he suffered (Luke 22.15), and the first Christians continued to observe Pentecost (Acts 20.16; 1 Corinthians 16.8), which fell on the fiftieth day of the season beginning on Easter Sunday. In Luke-Acts, at Easter Jesus ordered his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for ‘what my Father promised’, and Pentecost saw the fulfilment of that promise of ‘power from on high’ (Luke 24.49; Acts 1.4,8; Acts 2). This established the basis of the Christian year. As Luke tells this story it hints at the outward movement of the Church, and its diversity.
John 14.18-27, (25-27) Jesus characterises the Holy Spirit here as ‘another Advocate’ (NRSV): the one who will continue his own work with and in his disciples, once he himself has returned to his Father. The Greek word, transliterated in the NJB as ‘Paraclete’, has also been translated as ‘Comforter’ (KJB, following Tyndale), and ‘Counsellor’ (RSV/NRSV, NIV). The modern understanding of counselling as being there not only to support in crisis and through anxiety, but also to challenge thoughts and actions that are preventing change does indeed illuminate the work of the Paraclete. The first Christians called a sermon a ‘word of exhortation’ (logos parakleseos; Acts 13.15, Hebrews 13.22) and, as a ‘paraclete’, the preacher combined encouragement and warning, and above all, used the Scriptures to speak to present events, as indeed Peter does at the first Pentecost.
SUNDAY 2 JUNE 2019
Acts 16.16-34 At first there is mild humour in this passage, as the slave-girl’s Delphic oracle states the absolutely obvious. ‘Most High God’ is a frequent description of Israel’s God in the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures, and ‘a way of salvation’ echoes language commonly used by the Christian missionaries themselves (Acts 9.2; 11.14). But the mood changes, and becomes serious, as the action moves to the severe flogging and secure confinement of Paul and Silas. In their close captivity they pray and sing hymns, and the earthquake recalls the Psalms, and God’s delivering those who cry to him in their despair (Psalms 18.7-9 and 68.7-8). The jailer, terrified perhaps of a lingering revenge from the unshackled prisoners, thinks of committing suicide swiftly. But ‘the word of the Lord’ creates a new ‘humanity made one’ in baptism. This is expressed in the intimate connection between the jailer’s washing of Paul and Silas’ wounds, and their then ‘without delay’ baptising him and his family.
John 17.20-26 After praying for the disciples who are with him, Jesus now turns his attention to the disciples to come, among whom are the evangelist’s audience. His prayer is the same as he prayed for his first followers (17.11). Disciples separated by time and space find their unity in what they share of Jesus’ relationship with his heavenly Father, and their common calling to live by his word. This unity has heavenly and earthly dimensions. Jesus prays that his disciples may be ‘with me where I am’ (v.24). He also prays that this visionary, heavenly experience will be translated into earthly living, in the unity that flows from divine love (v.26; cf. 13.34-35). The vocation of Jesus’ disciples is demanding, but never mere demand. It is grace, because Jesus gives what he prays for.
SUNDAY 26 MAY 2019
Acts 16.9-15 Following his disagreement with Barnabas in Antioch (15.36-41), Paul and his companions are looking for new centres of operation to extend westwards. We now hear of the founding of the church in Philippi, the first in Europe, through the baptism of Lydia and her household. This is the first baptism that Acts attributes to Paul, and Lydia is the first of those who have responded to Paul’s preaching whom Luke names personally. The first to become a Christian in Europe, Lydia’s heart is opened by God, just as the risen Jesus opened the disciples’ hearts and minds on the road to Emmaus and in Jerusalem (Luke 24.32,45).
Revelation 21.10,22 – 22.1-5 Picking up on some of the imagery of the likes of Psalm 67, John's vision of the holy city brings the psalmist's prayer to a new intensity of hope. Essentially, however, it is the same vision. God blesses his people so that through them the world may be blessed.
John 14.23-29 Jesus' words draw us back to the sense of intimacy among friends that will be the driver of Yahweh's worldwide mission, whose powerful 'launch' we will recall over the next two Sundays. His words are so simple that we can easily overlook their radical implications. Loving him means keeping his word, keeping alive his teaching and obeying him, for his words have come from God the Father (vv. 23,24). If the disciples are anxious about forgetting him and his words, the Advocate, whom he will 'send from the Father', will see that this does not happen (v. 26). He is leaving them his peace, and his 'going to the Father' should be cause for rejoicing (vv. 27-29). Jesus' assurance of the Spirit's presence with the disciples and his own return to his Father are pledges of a new intimacy between God and humanity and foretastes of the glory of the new Jerusalem, to be enjoyed by us now.
SUNDAY 19 MAY 2019
Acts 11.1-18 The Early Church was a Jewish Church and the coming of Gentiles to faith in Christ posed a number of theological and practical problems. Were Gentiles to become Jewish and observe the Old Testament Law in order to be saved? If not, how were Jewish believers to maintain their own obedience to the food laws when fellowship in Christ involved eating with unclean Gentiles? And how would close association with Gentile believers affect the relationship of Jewish believers with other Jews who did not share their faith in Christ? This issue would finally be resolved at the Council of Jerusalem, which would decide that Law observance was not necessary for Gentile salvation (15.1). The limited stipulations it laid upon Gentile believers seem designed not to ensure their salvation, but to make possible table fellowship between them and Jewish believers in a way that would allow the latter to remain Law observant (15.29). In this passage we are still some way from that clarity. The critical question that prompts Peter's explanation concerns table fellowship with Gentiles (11.3). However, his vision and what he experiences at Cornelius' house seem just as relevant to the question of Gentile salvation. Indeed, the story reaches a climax when Peter's hearers praise God for the salvation of Gentiles (11.18). What we see here is the Church struggling to catch up with divine decision making. Peter acts only at the prompting of the Spirit (11.12) and apparently against his own inclinations (11.8). The gift of the Spirit to the Gentiles demonstrates to him and to others that he has heard the Spirit correctly. In approving Peter's deeds, the Jerusalem Church cannot avoid involvement in Gentile mission; subsequent events in Antioch (11.19-26) will confirm this. The Spirit leads on and the Church follows. And at the individual level too, the Spirit directs. Peter receives a vision (11.5-10). An angel prompts Cornelius to send for Peter (11.13), and the Spirit falls upon him while Peter is speaking.
John 13.31-35 Though we are in the season of Easter we are given one of the texts that derives from Holy Week. The link with the Acts reading is with the inclusive and challenging nature of God’s love. ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ seems at first to be a more restricted calling than ‘love your neighbour as yourself’, and certainly than ‘love your enemies’ (Luke 6.27). But in the face of the hostility that threatens to fragment the community of disciples, ‘love one another as I have loved you’ is the essential first step. But only the first – the fourth Gospel insists that God’s sacrificial love overcomes all human divisions as it extends into the world. The call to live by Jesus’ new commandment is about mission as much as survival (20.21).
SUNDAY 12 MAY 2019 Revd Hyunte Shin from our Korean Church
Hebrews 11:1-6
Romans 10:9-13
SUNDAY 5 MAY 2019
Acts 9.1-6,(7-20) As one who witnessed the stoning of Stephen (7.58-59), Saul was one of the most driven enemies of the Jesus movement in Jerusalem (8.1-3). Now, he gains a more formal authority to act against members of ‘the Way’ elsewhere. The ‘light’ and ‘voice’ he experiences on the journey are the signatures of divine revelation. The heavenly voice identifies itself as that of Jesus. Persecuting Jesus’ followers is tantamount to persecuting Jesus himself. Is this an embryonic idea of believers as the ‘body of Christ’? Saul’s life is changed by what happened, but ‘conversion’ may be too strong a word. It is perhaps more realistic to see him moving from one Jewish sect (the Pharisees – see 23.6; 26.5) to another (the Way). Ananias is changed too. He begins by protesting at the words of the visionary voice, but he becomes an instrument in the healing of ‘brother Saul’. In what is presented as a divine work throughout, Ananias’ healing disposition plays a key part. The return of Saul’s sight brings deeper insight (cf. John 20.24-29), as he proclaims publicly the faith into which he is baptized, much to the astonishment of Damascus’ believers.
John 21.1-19 The timing of Jesus’ appearance to Peter is uncertain, though its location is clear enough. Seven disciples, including the sons of Zebedee, mentioned for the first time in this Gospel, are fishing on the Sea of Tiberias (John’s name for the Sea of Galilee). Have they returned to making their living, as the other Gospels (but not John) tell us they once did? Their fruitless night on the lake recalls Luke 5.1-11, which also highlights Peter’s sense of unworthiness alongside his call to discipleship. In both accounts, following Jesus’ advice leads to a catch so large that even these experienced fishermen struggle to land it. John adds some colour. When he recognises Jesus, Peter gets dressed before jumping into the sea. And there are 153 fish, the number of known nations at the time. The large catch, landed without breaking the net, reminds us of Jesus’ one flock (10.16), the one unbroken people for whom he prays (17.20ff.), and so symbolises the universal mission – what the other Gospels call ‘fishing for people’ – that flows from Jesus’ resurrection.
SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2019 Revd Helena McKinnon
Luke 24.13-35 The story of the road to Emmaus falls naturally into two parts: the conversation on the road, and the moment of recognition in the breaking of the bread. It is summarised for us in this way in verse 35, when the disciples retell their story to the apostles, and this flags up for us that both stages are important. The disciples do not recognise Jesus in the stranger who joins them as they walk along. This could be for a supernatural reason, or because their pain and grief muffles the encounter. Jesus does not, on this occasion, call them by name, show his hands or his side, or say to them, ‘Peace be with you’. His aim is not solely to convey the good news that he is risen. In fact, he engages with Cleopas and his companion by telling them off: ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!’ (v.25). He then goes on, not to explain the resurrection to them, but to reorder their perception of the crucifixion: they have seen it as a disaster; he reframes it as a necessity (v.26). He then teaches them a new way of understanding familiar texts (v.27). Perhaps it becomes possible to recognise him within this more robust theological framework that encompasses loss and failure as well as glory and triumph. Then Jesus comes into the house with them and breaks the bread. They see him and know that he has been with them all along. Luke describes the two habitual activities of Christian worship down the ages: expounding the Scriptures and breaking bread, and assures us that in these actions we are going to meet the risen Christ.
Isaiah 25.1-6: Partying with God Isaiah's vision is remarkably inclusive. His God is still a warlike God, but wages war only to defend the weak against tyrannous regimes. God's wars are to enforce peace. At the end of it all there will be a peaceful world community symbolised by a banquet, prepared for all peoples. The food will be good, and the wine – often a symbol of joy and celebration in the Bible – will be plentiful and fine. Death is vanquished. It was this image that in New Testament times fuelled the concept of the Messianic banquet. When Messiah had triumphed, all would share in a banquet, which would usher in a time of peace, prosperity and righteousness. Jesus' disciples argued over who would sit where at the banquet. On the night of his arrest, Jesus talked of not drinking wine again until he drank it new in the Kingdom of God. At Cana in Galilee, Jesus turned water into wine that was plentiful and fine – a foretaste of the kingdom. Isaiah still, of course, presumes it will be on Mount Zion that God will preside. It is from Jerusalem that God's wars will be fought. This is still an ethno-centric view of world peace. But it is none the less remarkable for that in the wide sweep of who it includes.
SUNDAY 21 APRIL 2019 Easter Sunday
Acts 10.34-43 Invited by Cornelius to speak the words that God had given him to say, Peter gives a clear and concise summary of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. ‘We are witnesses to all that he did’ (v.39), Peter says, confirming first-hand that Jesus rose on the third day and subsequently appeared to his disciples, eating and drinking with them. It is the testimony of those first disciples that perhaps offers the strongest proof of Jesus’ resurrection. Given their levels of fear and confusion immediately after Jesus’ death, what else could explain their sudden transformation into joyful and confident ambassadors of the gospel?
Luke 24.1-12 The names may differ, but all the Gospels agree that the first witnesses of the empty tomb were the women who followed Jesus to the cross, and then to his grave. Luke describes them as ‘perplexed.’ Having brought spices to anoint Jesus’ body, they clearly weren’t anticipating the resurrection. But as soon as the mysterious men in dazzling clothes remind them that Jesus had predicted he would rise again (Luke 9.22), they rush back into the city to tell the disciples and the rest of Jesus’ followers that he has risen. Mary Magdalene has been called the ‘apostle to the apostles’, but she is not the only one. All the women Luke lists in verse 10 could bear that title. Ironically, the apostles initially disbelieve them, perhaps because women were not considered to be reliable witnesses under Jewish law. But the women’s faithfulness at the end of the Gospel mirrors that of Elizabeth and Mary at the beginning. Throughout his Gospel, Luke consistently shows women, as well as men, proclaiming the good news of our salvation in Christ. Peter then sees the empty tomb for himself. Rather curiously, ‘then he went home, amazed at what had happened’ (v.12). We do not see him immediately bearing witness, as the women had. The story of the Emmaus Road intervenes, and it is only as that story ends that we hear that Peter has told the rest of Jesus’ followers. Perhaps he needed time to process his amazement. ‘You are witnesses of these things’ (Luke 24.48), Jesus says. As the Gospel ends, Jesus commissions all his followers (not just the eleven) to proclaim his death and resurrection to all nations, along with the message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. As we celebrate the joy of Easter, we are invited to reflect on our own role as witnesses, and to be encouraged that the Spirit will inspire and empower us to proclaim the good news.
SUNDAY 14 APRIL 2019 Palm Sunday with Church Action on Poverty
Reading: Luke 9, vv 28-36
Reading: Psalm 99, vv 1-5
Reading: Luke 19, 28-40
SUNDAY 7 APRIL 2019
Philippians 3.4b-14 In Philippians 2, Paul described how Christ ‘emptied himself’ to take human form and die on the cross, before being exalted once again to reign with God. Here, Paul describes his own journey of faith in similar terms. He has emptied himself of all the things he once held so dear – his status, his zeal, his righteousness under the law – regarding them as rubbish now that he has found the ‘righteousness…that comes through faith in Christ’ (v.9). That is not the end of the story, however. He wants to keep moving forward towards his goal, which is ‘to know Christ’ (v.10), and to complete with him the rest of his journey through suffering and death to resurrection. For Paul, faith is never static. If we are not moving forward, we are moving backwards – that is why he twice emphasises the importance of ‘pressing on,’ constantly striving to keep on growing in Christ.
John 12.1-8 In John’s Gospel it is Mary of Bethany who anoints Jesus with perfumed oil. Presumably she had bought the nard to anoint her brother’s body, but now that Lazarus has been raised from the dead she finds another purpose for it. Mary’s action is prophetic in two ways. First, as Jesus says, it is a sign of his own imminent burial. Like the women who follow Jesus to the cross and the tomb, Mary does not look away as Jesus’ suffering and death draw near. Second, this may well have been the act that inspired Jesus to wash his disciples’ feet in the following chapter. Acts of love and kindness often prompt those who receive them to show the same love and kindness to others – and this infectious principle underlies the new commandment that Jesus then gives his disciples: ‘Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another’ (John 13.34).
SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2019
Joshua 5.9-12 There is a Lent and wilderness theme here. After their years in the wilderness, the Israelites finally arrive in their new home in the promised land. Their first response is to look back in gratitude. They make a shrine at Gilgal, to remember the place where God brought them over the River Jordan. They celebrate the Passover together, remembering how God brought them out of their slavery in Egypt. How do we mark the significant moments in our own journey of faith? Visible signs can be a helpful reminder of God’s faithfulness. And retelling those stories can both encourage our fellow believers and be a crucial part of our witness to others.
2 Corinthians 5.16-21 Paul celebrates the way that God has taken the initiative in bringing us back to his love. Verse 19 offers a perfect summary of everything that he has been saying immediately beforehand, about Christ’s saving work on the cross. This action has freed us from our sins, enabling us to be a ‘new creation’ in Christ. In response to all that God has done for us, we are invited to live a new and different life – and to take on a new role, as ‘ambassadors for Christ’ (v.20). This image develops the idea of our new citizenship in Christ (see notes on Philippians 3.17–4.1, page 14). As we negotiate the realities of the world we live in, we need to remember where our true home is, and where our true loyalty lies. We are here to be Christ’s representatives, faithfully proclaiming his message of God’s reconciling love.
Luke 15.1-3,11b-32 Along with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, Jesus tells this story to the Pharisees and scribes who have been grumbling, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them’ (v.2). Although the younger brother’s story is more famous, the older brother’s story is perhaps more significant in the context of the Gospel. The father urges him to come in and enjoy the feast and reminds him, ‘You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours’ (v.31). But we are never told the outcome. The invitation is left hanging in the air.
SUNDAY 24 MARCH 2019
ISAIAH 55:1-9. Gracious, merciful acceptance by God for all who seek such a relationship stands out as the theme of these magnificently poetic lines. But God does not ignore human sin. God seeks human repentance, a meaningful change in one's behaviour for this relationship to be effective. This is necessary, the prophet emphasizes, because of the distinction between our human ways and God's ways.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13. Paul draws on the story of the Israelites in the wilderness breaking their covenant with God to challenge the Corinthians to live differently than their morally and spiritually corrupt society. The great benefit of the Christian life, he states in vs. 13, is not that they will be tested by their circumstances, but that God will be with them in that testing.
LUKE 13.1-9 On the road to Jerusalem, where his own sufferings lie ahead of him, Jesus responds to two recent incidents that had raised many of the familiar questions about human suffering. None of those who had died in the incidents were greater sinners than anyone else, Jesus says. Such disasters are not a punishment from God. Some are caused by human evil (Pilate killing the Galileans), some by accident or neglect (the Siloam tower collapsing). Others may happen completely at random. But such disasters serve as a reminder to be truly grounded in God and the better perspective that brings.
SUNDAY 17 MARCH 2019
Genesis 15.1-12,17-18 The Old Testament readings during Lent highlight key moments in Israel’s history. Here God makes a covenant with Abram, honouring the two promises made earlier (Genesis 12). First, Abram will be the father of innumerable descendants (the reason, in 17.5, that he is renamed Abraham, ‘the ancestor of a multitude’); and second, God will provide a land for them. In response, Abram ‘believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness’ (v.6). Paul later makes much of this verse (Galatians 3.6; Romans 4.3), arguing that salvation has always come through faith rather than works of the law, and is therefore for Gentiles as well as Jews. Hebrews 11.8-12 also praises Abraham’s faith, though for a different reason. Not only did Abraham believe the promises of God, he acted on them by leaving his home and setting out into an unknown future. Is our faith reflected in our choices and actions?
Philippians 3.17–4.1 Like Jesus in today’s Gospel reading, Paul laments over those who reject the ways of God, whose ‘minds are set on earthly things’. In a compelling image he declares that Christians now hold a new citizenship, based in heaven rather than on earth. This is what defines our identity, and this is what should govern our behaviour. We may face difficult choices sometimes in the clash between earthly and heavenly values, but Paul urges his readers to ‘stand firm in the Lord’ (4.1), allowing the vision of our future life with Christ to shape our present reality. For the time being we are like expatriates living abroad; but we are on our way home, where Christ’s transforming work in us will be completed.
Luke 13.31-35 Jesus brushes off Herod’s death threat, knowing that it is his destiny to die in Jerusalem, ‘the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it’ (v.34). In a moving lament, he compares himself to a mother hen longing in vain to gather her chicks under her wings. It is a rare example in the Bible of a female image being used to describe God’s love – but David made the same connection in Psalm 63.7: ‘in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy’. The listening Pharisees may have been shocked to hear Jesus implicitly likening himself to God, but this only reinforces his point – that God’s loving initiative will again be rejected in Jerusalem.
SUNDAY 10 MARCH 2019
THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. Luke 10 vv 25 to 37 (cafe-style worship)
SUNDAY 3 MARCH 2019
Exodus 34.29-35 The story of Moses on Mount Sinai shows what can happen when people draw near to God, actively and intentionally. As Moses came back down the mountain, unbeknown to him, the reflected glory of the Lord shone from his face. The glory only lasted for a while, however. Like the manna in the wilderness that the Israelites had to collect every day (Exodus 16.4-7), the temporary nature of the glory encouraged Moses to make a habit of spending time with God. As Lent approaches, do we need to review our own patterns of prayer and spiritual reflection? There may be special places where we have found God, that we might revisit. There may be blocks of time that we can set aside, even in the busiest weeks, so that we can spend time with God.
1 Corinthians 15.51-58 Paul has been considering with the Corinthians what it means to be made in the image of God. In chapter 15 he compares the first Adam, the first 'man of dust', with Christ, the last Adam, 'the second man from heaven'. Some of the congregation have misunderstood their calling, and, like the first Adam, have sought for themselves a superior status. This is the way of sin that can lead only to death. Paul has encouraged them in the way of love, following the last Adam who died for them and 'became a life-giving spirit'. This is the way of transfiguration, from the mortal to immortality. It is God's victory in us. For now, we are to 'be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord'.
Luke 9.28-36 Luke often shows Jesus praying before key moments in his life (3.21; 6.12; 22.41), and he includes it as an important detail here (9.28-29). He also describes the conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah rather differently from the other Gospel writers: ‘They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, that he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.’ The word Luke uses for departure is ‘exodus’, and that gives the story added meaning. The Greek word was used to speak about death, so it may suggest that Moses and Elijah were reassuring Jesus by showing him a glimpse of the glory that lay ahead of him after he had died. But it also introduces a crucial parallel with the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
SUNDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2019
Luke 21:1-4
Set within the context of Holy Week, this very small episode is always remembered and celebrated as an act of generosity. Given that it is set with the run-up to the crucifixion it can be argued that it also reflects on the self-giving nature of Christ.
Luke 6.27-38
Jesus offers some really radical teaching: love your enemies! Our enemies are not only those who do not love us, it includes those who hate us and seek to do us harm. In the Old Testament we are told to love our neighbour as ourselves (Leviticus 19.18, reflected in Matthew 5.43), where ‘neighbour’ means fellow Israelites, so it is a call for national solidarity rather than doing good to whoever we come across. Jesus begins with the Golden Rule (v.31) and then steps up his teaching. This rule – ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’ – is found in many ancient cultures, including the Jewish tradition. A negative version occurs in Tobit 4.15 (in the Apocrypha): ‘What you hate, do not do to anyone.’ What Jesus now demands is that you ‘do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return’ (v.35). So not just to your friends. Then there are your enemies, those who curse and abuse you, those who dishonour you by slapping your face, those who snatch your clothes. You have to love even your enemies, bless them, do not retaliate, offer thieves even more than they have taken. All this is rooted in God’s own character, for you have to be ‘merciful just as your Father is merciful’.
Gladness and Generosity Action: Can we give up something that we love for a couple of weeks? Then afterwards to think what it felt like? Might it make us more grateful for what we have?
SUNDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2019
JEREMIAH 17.5-10. Jeremiah’s career began in 627 BC, in a time of national promise under King Josiah. But with Josiah’s death in 609 BC there began a period of great tension, leading up to the Babylonian invasion in 597 BC. Jeremiah put his life in personal danger by denouncing the nation’s sin and warning of God’s punishment (14.10ff.). The nation had to turn to God, repent and cease sinning. Here, Jeremiah offers a stylistic seed that Jesus developed in his Beatitudes (see below). Jeremiah’s curse is on those who reject God and trust only in themselves. He announces God’s blessing on ‘those who trust in the Lord’. The latter have roots that tap into God in the way that a tree might have roots that reach into a stream. People are devious, so how shall God discern the former from the latter? God will test minds and search hearts, and reward according to people’s behaviour.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-20. Here Paul begins his remarkable proclamation of what the resurrection of Jesus means for all faithful Christians. Undoubtedly he was responding to a serious conflict within the Corinthian community about this basic element of the faith. He asks the Corinthians to recognise the reality of the resurrection from their own experience of faith, even though they struggled to understand it at the same time.
LUKE 6:17-26. Comparing Luke's version of the Beatitudes, and the Sermon on the Plain which they introduce, with those found in Matthew 5, can provide an interesting study. A common source lies behind them, but each author uses them for his own purposes. Luke's includes only four and adds several Woes which have no parallel in Matthew.
SUNDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2019 Revd Mike Peat
Reading: Luke 5: 1-11
Readings: Isaiah 6: 1-8 1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 11
SUNDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2019
1 CORINTHIANS 13: 1-13. Paul's hymn to love remains one of the great pieces of poetry in any language. It has universal application - from marriage and family life to all forms of human relationships. Yet there is a firmness about it that denies all sentimentality. It goes straight to the heart of the problems of human communication and issues that drive us apart. For those who doubt that this approach to life can be effective, Paul has a special word of counsel. This is how mature people relate to each other. There is no other way to settle disputes such as those he had encountered among the disciples in Corinth.
LUKE 4.21-30 When you observe closely, this is a puzzling narrative. Having read from the scroll – Isaiah 61.1-2 – in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus announces that the prophecy is being fulfilled among them: the poor will hear the good news, captives will be freed, the blind will see – all signs of the coming messianic age, and now it is within their grasp. Jesus is the one who would bring this about. ‘All spoke well of him.’ But the mood changes in this rather truncated narrative. Who does Jesus think he is? Jesus provokes them with a proverb that says that prophets are never appreciated in their home town, and he gives two scriptural examples of Gentiles being more appreciative: Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17.8-16), and Elisha and King Naaman (2 Kings 5.1-14). The crowd then drives him from the town and determines to kill him, presumably as a false prophet (see Deuteronomy 13.1-5). Yet he slips away. Commentators have been floundering ever since to explain this unlikely turn of events. Nevertheless, the central point is the messianic prophecy at the beginning of Jesus’ public career and the antagonism it draws.
LUKE 4.21-30 When you observe closely, this is a puzzling narrative. Having read from the scroll – Isaiah 61.1-2 – in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus announces that the prophecy is being fulfilled among them: the poor will hear the good news, captives will be freed, the blind will see – all signs of the coming messianic age, and now it is within their grasp. Jesus is the one who would bring this about. ‘All spoke well of him.’ But the mood changes in this rather truncated narrative. Who does Jesus think he is? Jesus provokes them with a proverb that says that prophets are never appreciated in their home town, and he gives two scriptural examples of Gentiles being more appreciative: Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17.8-16), and Elisha and King Naaman (2 Kings 5.1-14). The crowd then drives him from the town and determines to kill him, presumably as a false prophet (see Deuteronomy 13.1-5). Yet he slips away. Commentators have been floundering ever since to explain this unlikely turn of events. Nevertheless, the central point is the messianic prophecy at the beginning of Jesus’ public career and the antagonism it draws.
SUNDAY 27 JANUARY
1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31a. Paul's image of the disciple community as the body of the risen Christ has stood the test of time. It still speaks with power today. Of less significance for us is the list of offices and functions which he enumerates. His purpose in doing so is to illustrate how the various gifts he had found among the Corinthian disciples could work together harmoniously when each person fulfilled his or her function for the good of the whole community. He moved from this powerful metaphor to show how this could be done through the best gift of all - love. Remember that Paul was speaking to a community where disharmony was a problem. He asks them to look beyond their divisions to their common identity in Christ.
LUKE 4:14-21. It was the custom in the Jewish synagogues of the 1st century to ask a visiting rabbi to teach from the scriptures. After making an initial tour of Galilee, Jesus went to worship on the sabbath. He was asked to read and interpret a passage of scripture. He chose or was assigned a passage from Isaiah 61 which was to become the model for his ministry. Then he declared to the congregation that this prophecy was being fulfilled in their hearing.
- Can you relate to any of the roles or activities?
- What is missing in your community?
- Whose contribution might need more affirmation?
LUKE 4:14-21. It was the custom in the Jewish synagogues of the 1st century to ask a visiting rabbi to teach from the scriptures. After making an initial tour of Galilee, Jesus went to worship on the sabbath. He was asked to read and interpret a passage of scripture. He chose or was assigned a passage from Isaiah 61 which was to become the model for his ministry. Then he declared to the congregation that this prophecy was being fulfilled in their hearing.
- Can you relate to any of the roles or activities?
- What is missing in your community?
- Whose contribution might need more affirmation?
SUNDAY 20 JANUARY
ISAIAH 62:1-5. The return of the exiles and the rebuilding of Jerusalem is the constant theme of Second-Isaiah, as scholars have named the unknown poet-prophet of Israel’s exile in Babylon. He either composed or inspired his disciples to write the poetry now contained in Isaiah 40-66. This is part of the last of a trilogy of poems in Isaiah 60-62 emphasizing the promised return and reconstruction resulting from Israel’s special relationship with God. Vs. 4-5 of this passage likens this relationship to a renewed marriage covenant.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11. Paul had many difficulties teaching the new converts in Corinth just what it meant to believe in Jesus as Lord and follow his way of life. A major disagreement had arisen as to which of the gifts of the Spirit were the more important. Here Paul points out that all gifts come from the same Spirit of God, serve different purposes in the Christian community, and yet contribute to the common good.
JOHN 2.1-11 It is an important aspect of the style of John’s Gospel that happenings in time and space are used to reveal a deeper religious significance. ‘Turning water into wine’ has entered our speech as a phrase used in connection with an impossible situation. This may not be helpful as it can put the focus on the physical miracle. John does not present Jesus simply as a miracle worker. There would have been nothing exceptional in that in a time when miracles were part of the general world view. The account of the wedding at Cana is much more than a sign that Jesus had miraculous powers. Mary’s remark to Jesus that there was no more wine could have been an observation, a hint or an instruction. Jesus’ rather enigmatic reply was to the effect that it was not their problem and the time was not right for him to do anything anyway. In the scheme of things, it was not that important that the wine ran out early. Jesus was about something more momentous. In spite of Jesus’ response, Mary told the servants to, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Doing what Jesus tells you, even though it goes against common sense has surprising results. It restores conviviality to a community that is about to break up. It also turns the order of life on its head. There is a logic to serving the best wine first. However, what Jesus’ actions suggest is that we can never say, ‘This is as good as it gets.’ There is always the promise of something more. The final verse gives the purpose of the sign — to reveal Christ’s glory and to encourage others.
Where do you see signs of God at work today?
How do you make a difference in your community?
1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11. Paul had many difficulties teaching the new converts in Corinth just what it meant to believe in Jesus as Lord and follow his way of life. A major disagreement had arisen as to which of the gifts of the Spirit were the more important. Here Paul points out that all gifts come from the same Spirit of God, serve different purposes in the Christian community, and yet contribute to the common good.
JOHN 2.1-11 It is an important aspect of the style of John’s Gospel that happenings in time and space are used to reveal a deeper religious significance. ‘Turning water into wine’ has entered our speech as a phrase used in connection with an impossible situation. This may not be helpful as it can put the focus on the physical miracle. John does not present Jesus simply as a miracle worker. There would have been nothing exceptional in that in a time when miracles were part of the general world view. The account of the wedding at Cana is much more than a sign that Jesus had miraculous powers. Mary’s remark to Jesus that there was no more wine could have been an observation, a hint or an instruction. Jesus’ rather enigmatic reply was to the effect that it was not their problem and the time was not right for him to do anything anyway. In the scheme of things, it was not that important that the wine ran out early. Jesus was about something more momentous. In spite of Jesus’ response, Mary told the servants to, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Doing what Jesus tells you, even though it goes against common sense has surprising results. It restores conviviality to a community that is about to break up. It also turns the order of life on its head. There is a logic to serving the best wine first. However, what Jesus’ actions suggest is that we can never say, ‘This is as good as it gets.’ There is always the promise of something more. The final verse gives the purpose of the sign — to reveal Christ’s glory and to encourage others.
Where do you see signs of God at work today?
How do you make a difference in your community?
SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019
Isaiah 43.1-7
This part of Isaiah speaks from the time when the Babylonian exile is about to end. It looks forward in hope to a future that is secure in God. Only God can bring back the scattered exiles and restore them politically. God is described as the Saviour of the nation (v.3), their parent (v.1) and their creator (v.1). The restoration of the nation rests on the unstoppable power of God, and the greatness of God’s love. The passage ends with an allusion to the touchstone story of salvation, the crossing of the Red Sea in the exodus.
Acts 8:14-17
The Philip of the passage immediately preceding this story (8:4-12) is not one of the apostles, but a deacon and evangelist. He was one of several Greek-speaking Christians appointed to help the apostles. (Acts 6:1-6) He had been forced to flee from Jerusalem after the death of his fellow evangelist, Stephen. This brief note points to a subtle development in the early church’s understanding of baptism and the special role of the apostles. For some reason, baptism by Philip “in the name of Jesus” had not been sufficient to bring upon some new converts the blessing of the Spirit. The passage does point up the centrality and importance of baptism in the early church.
Luke 3.15-17,21-22
The first part of chapter 3, and most of chapter 1, have been about John the Baptist but from now the focus is on Jesus. Verse 15 marks the transition point between the ministries of John and Jesus.
Luke is not interested in where the baptism of Jesus took place, who performed it (he has John in prison in v. 20) or the act itself. These details are not as important as Jesus' experience that followed. It is a revelation of who Jesus is, an epiphany. There are three aspects:
- The heaven was opened – this may have echoes of the prayer in Isaiah 64 for the heaven to open and God come as in the exodus.
- The Holy Spirit descends – this is the mark of Jesus' ministry and his gift to enable the ministry of the Church.
- A voice speaks – the message combines a coronation Psalm (2.7) and a description of God's servant in Isaiah (42.1). Jesus' ministry combines lordship and servanthood. We should also notice that this happens as Jesus was praying following the baptism. Baptism is always extraordinary but we should not underestimate the potential of the ordinariness of prayer.
For Reflection:
1. How do you sense God’s affirmation?
2. What might God be encouraging you to do?
This part of Isaiah speaks from the time when the Babylonian exile is about to end. It looks forward in hope to a future that is secure in God. Only God can bring back the scattered exiles and restore them politically. God is described as the Saviour of the nation (v.3), their parent (v.1) and their creator (v.1). The restoration of the nation rests on the unstoppable power of God, and the greatness of God’s love. The passage ends with an allusion to the touchstone story of salvation, the crossing of the Red Sea in the exodus.
Acts 8:14-17
The Philip of the passage immediately preceding this story (8:4-12) is not one of the apostles, but a deacon and evangelist. He was one of several Greek-speaking Christians appointed to help the apostles. (Acts 6:1-6) He had been forced to flee from Jerusalem after the death of his fellow evangelist, Stephen. This brief note points to a subtle development in the early church’s understanding of baptism and the special role of the apostles. For some reason, baptism by Philip “in the name of Jesus” had not been sufficient to bring upon some new converts the blessing of the Spirit. The passage does point up the centrality and importance of baptism in the early church.
Luke 3.15-17,21-22
The first part of chapter 3, and most of chapter 1, have been about John the Baptist but from now the focus is on Jesus. Verse 15 marks the transition point between the ministries of John and Jesus.
Luke is not interested in where the baptism of Jesus took place, who performed it (he has John in prison in v. 20) or the act itself. These details are not as important as Jesus' experience that followed. It is a revelation of who Jesus is, an epiphany. There are three aspects:
- The heaven was opened – this may have echoes of the prayer in Isaiah 64 for the heaven to open and God come as in the exodus.
- The Holy Spirit descends – this is the mark of Jesus' ministry and his gift to enable the ministry of the Church.
- A voice speaks – the message combines a coronation Psalm (2.7) and a description of God's servant in Isaiah (42.1). Jesus' ministry combines lordship and servanthood. We should also notice that this happens as Jesus was praying following the baptism. Baptism is always extraordinary but we should not underestimate the potential of the ordinariness of prayer.
For Reflection:
1. How do you sense God’s affirmation?
2. What might God be encouraging you to do?
SUNDAY 6 JANUARY 2019
Isaiah 60.1-6
Isaiah 60 comes from the third block of chapters (56–66) in the Book of Isaiah – hence the author is often called Third Isaiah. He wrote in the period shortly after the return from exile in Babylon, about 538 to 520 BC, after Cyrus, king of Persia, had defeated the Babylonians and released all the captives. Many of the exiles stayed in Babylon, but those who returned to Jerusalem had to rebuild a demoralised nation, with Solomon’s Temple reduced to rubble. But Isaiah foresees a glorious future – literally glorious, for ‘the glory of the Lord’ has risen upon the land. Nations and their kings will come with gifts of gold and frankincense, and Israel ‘shall thrill and rejoice’ – anticipating, albeit with a rather different vision, what Matthew would describe six centuries later.
Matthew 2.1-12
In Matthew, Jesus’ first appearance (epiphany) after his birth is to wise men from the East in a beautifully integrated narrative that is quite different from that of Luke. The wise men have tracked a star to Israel (despite popular mythology, we are not told their number, nor their mode of transport!) They visit the royal court in Jerusalem looking for a newborn king. The chief priests advise them to go to Bethlehem where, according to the prophet Micah, the Messiah is to be born. They continue to follow the star and arrive at a house (there is no mention of a stable) where it stops. They find the family living there and see the child. They pay homage and present their three gifts. Then a series of dreams tell the wise men not to return to King Herod, and Joseph to take his family to Egypt and eventually to settle in Nazareth. Much of the detail is supported by, or derived from, quotations and allusions from Scripture. The wise men, or magi (from the Greek magoi’) are astrologers, wizards or religious mystics – something to do with magic – but we often call them kings because of Psalm 72.10-11 and Isaiah 60.1-6. The messianic star is in Numbers 24.17; Bethlehem in Micah 5.2; gold and frankincense in Isaiah 60.6; the flight to and return from Egypt, Hosea 11.1; and the death of children, Jeremiah 31.15. And it all hinges on the device of dreams with divine messages. Did Matthew believe that his story was historically accurate? We cannot be sure, but probably. He doesn’t seem to have any evidence for the historical veracity of his story of the kind that we would demand today, but what was that against the testimony of Scripture? Matthew believed that Christ had to be born this way because Scripture foretold it. Historically accurate or not, it is a wonderful story. Yet its importance lies in what Matthew tells us, through the story, about who Jesus is: the promised Messiah, the king worshipped by kings, the fulfiller of prophecies.
For Reflection:
Why does Matthew’s very Jewish Gospel alone include the story of three pagan foreigners bringing gifts?
What role does faith play in our journeys through life?
Isaiah 60 comes from the third block of chapters (56–66) in the Book of Isaiah – hence the author is often called Third Isaiah. He wrote in the period shortly after the return from exile in Babylon, about 538 to 520 BC, after Cyrus, king of Persia, had defeated the Babylonians and released all the captives. Many of the exiles stayed in Babylon, but those who returned to Jerusalem had to rebuild a demoralised nation, with Solomon’s Temple reduced to rubble. But Isaiah foresees a glorious future – literally glorious, for ‘the glory of the Lord’ has risen upon the land. Nations and their kings will come with gifts of gold and frankincense, and Israel ‘shall thrill and rejoice’ – anticipating, albeit with a rather different vision, what Matthew would describe six centuries later.
Matthew 2.1-12
In Matthew, Jesus’ first appearance (epiphany) after his birth is to wise men from the East in a beautifully integrated narrative that is quite different from that of Luke. The wise men have tracked a star to Israel (despite popular mythology, we are not told their number, nor their mode of transport!) They visit the royal court in Jerusalem looking for a newborn king. The chief priests advise them to go to Bethlehem where, according to the prophet Micah, the Messiah is to be born. They continue to follow the star and arrive at a house (there is no mention of a stable) where it stops. They find the family living there and see the child. They pay homage and present their three gifts. Then a series of dreams tell the wise men not to return to King Herod, and Joseph to take his family to Egypt and eventually to settle in Nazareth. Much of the detail is supported by, or derived from, quotations and allusions from Scripture. The wise men, or magi (from the Greek magoi’) are astrologers, wizards or religious mystics – something to do with magic – but we often call them kings because of Psalm 72.10-11 and Isaiah 60.1-6. The messianic star is in Numbers 24.17; Bethlehem in Micah 5.2; gold and frankincense in Isaiah 60.6; the flight to and return from Egypt, Hosea 11.1; and the death of children, Jeremiah 31.15. And it all hinges on the device of dreams with divine messages. Did Matthew believe that his story was historically accurate? We cannot be sure, but probably. He doesn’t seem to have any evidence for the historical veracity of his story of the kind that we would demand today, but what was that against the testimony of Scripture? Matthew believed that Christ had to be born this way because Scripture foretold it. Historically accurate or not, it is a wonderful story. Yet its importance lies in what Matthew tells us, through the story, about who Jesus is: the promised Messiah, the king worshipped by kings, the fulfiller of prophecies.
For Reflection:
Why does Matthew’s very Jewish Gospel alone include the story of three pagan foreigners bringing gifts?
What role does faith play in our journeys through life?
SUNDAY 30 DECEMBER united with Tyndale Baptist Church at Victoria Methodist Church
Isaiah 52 v7
John 1: 1-18
He became poor that we may be rich,
Loving the world, leaving his throne.
Kings of all Kings and Lord of all Lords,
Flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.
John 1: 1-18
He became poor that we may be rich,
Loving the world, leaving his throne.
Kings of all Kings and Lord of all Lords,
Flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.
TUESDAY 25 DECEMBER Christmas Day
Reading: Luke 2.1-18
SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER
Micah 5.2-5a
The Book of Micah alternates between themes of judgement and restoration. The book is set at the time of Assyrian attacks on the northern region of Israel (eighth century BC).
However, it may be made up of a number of texts written at different times – for example, Micah 4.1-3 is almost identical to Isaiah 2.2-4, which suggests that they share a common source. This week’s passage is one of the promises of restoration, and is strikingly specific. The ‘one who is to rule in Israel’ and who will be ‘the one of peace’ will come from Bethlehem, the ancestral home of King David. David was the great king of the past who became the blueprint for what the Messiah would be like. The Messiah would be sent from God and would be of David’s family line, neatly fusing spirituality and politics into one. It is evident from Matthew 2.5-6 that these verses were taken seriously as a prophecy about the Messiah, and that the Early Church felt that the story that Jesus was born in Bethlehem was important for establishing his claim to be the one who fulfils this promise (the location of Jesus’ birth is mentioned in both Matthew 2.1 and Luke 2.4)
Hebrews 10.5-10
The Letter to the Hebrews contains an extended discussion of the ways in which the second covenant (Christ’s ministry, death and resurrection) is superior to the first. The first covenant is described here not in terms of the books of the Law, but in terms of the ritual worship and sacrifice carried out in the tent in the wilderness at the time of Moses and Aaron. It is as if the writer is saying, even at its purest and most essential, this pattern of worship was always temporary, a kind of ‘placeholder’ until the arrival of Christ. He goes further, and suggests that it is a kind of shadow picture that can help us understand the ministry of Jesus. This argument can seem a bit obscure to us, since it is answering a question about ancient Jewish worship that we are probably not asking. But then we reach this poetic passage. Using a meditation on Psalm 40.6-8, the writer reflects on Jesus’ own experience of his ministry and suggests that he would say, ‘I have come to do your will, O God’. There is a beautiful simplicity in the obedience depicted here. Instead of ritual sacrifices, this servant offers himself.
Luke 1.39-45,(46-55)
The presentation of the conceptions and births of John the Baptist and Jesus as an intertwined story is only told in this way by Luke. The two expectant mothers, Mary and Elizabeth, meet. The two women share overwhelming joy that the promises of God are being fulfilled. Elizabeth encourages Mary, identifying her as ‘the mother of my Lord’ and saying that she has been blessed by God. This must have been a powerful and helpful thing to say to a woman viewed with suspicion in Nazareth – not so much ‘blessed’ as ‘cursed’ – because she has become pregnant before her marriage. Elizabeth tells Mary that she does well to believe God’s promises to her will be fulfilled. This releases Mary to utter the Magnificat, a poem of praise to God, seeing her own role as the mother of Jesus as a sign of God’s wider mercy, and the bringing down of the proud, the powerful and the rich. She also speaks of the fulfilment of God’s promises going right back to Abraham. Working outwards from her own experience (and drawing on the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2.1-10), Mary is presented here ‘doing theology’ and giving her own perspective on what the ministry of Jesus will mean. It is striking to hear the voices of these two women speaking up with faith, joy and understanding.
For Reflection:
The Micah reading and the Luke reading both indicate the action of God, and thus the presence of hope, from unlikely and marginal places, yet having a far greater impact. Where are the marginal places where hope can be found today over and against the big and challenging issues. How can we make that hope more real in the world around us?
The Book of Micah alternates between themes of judgement and restoration. The book is set at the time of Assyrian attacks on the northern region of Israel (eighth century BC).
However, it may be made up of a number of texts written at different times – for example, Micah 4.1-3 is almost identical to Isaiah 2.2-4, which suggests that they share a common source. This week’s passage is one of the promises of restoration, and is strikingly specific. The ‘one who is to rule in Israel’ and who will be ‘the one of peace’ will come from Bethlehem, the ancestral home of King David. David was the great king of the past who became the blueprint for what the Messiah would be like. The Messiah would be sent from God and would be of David’s family line, neatly fusing spirituality and politics into one. It is evident from Matthew 2.5-6 that these verses were taken seriously as a prophecy about the Messiah, and that the Early Church felt that the story that Jesus was born in Bethlehem was important for establishing his claim to be the one who fulfils this promise (the location of Jesus’ birth is mentioned in both Matthew 2.1 and Luke 2.4)
Hebrews 10.5-10
The Letter to the Hebrews contains an extended discussion of the ways in which the second covenant (Christ’s ministry, death and resurrection) is superior to the first. The first covenant is described here not in terms of the books of the Law, but in terms of the ritual worship and sacrifice carried out in the tent in the wilderness at the time of Moses and Aaron. It is as if the writer is saying, even at its purest and most essential, this pattern of worship was always temporary, a kind of ‘placeholder’ until the arrival of Christ. He goes further, and suggests that it is a kind of shadow picture that can help us understand the ministry of Jesus. This argument can seem a bit obscure to us, since it is answering a question about ancient Jewish worship that we are probably not asking. But then we reach this poetic passage. Using a meditation on Psalm 40.6-8, the writer reflects on Jesus’ own experience of his ministry and suggests that he would say, ‘I have come to do your will, O God’. There is a beautiful simplicity in the obedience depicted here. Instead of ritual sacrifices, this servant offers himself.
Luke 1.39-45,(46-55)
The presentation of the conceptions and births of John the Baptist and Jesus as an intertwined story is only told in this way by Luke. The two expectant mothers, Mary and Elizabeth, meet. The two women share overwhelming joy that the promises of God are being fulfilled. Elizabeth encourages Mary, identifying her as ‘the mother of my Lord’ and saying that she has been blessed by God. This must have been a powerful and helpful thing to say to a woman viewed with suspicion in Nazareth – not so much ‘blessed’ as ‘cursed’ – because she has become pregnant before her marriage. Elizabeth tells Mary that she does well to believe God’s promises to her will be fulfilled. This releases Mary to utter the Magnificat, a poem of praise to God, seeing her own role as the mother of Jesus as a sign of God’s wider mercy, and the bringing down of the proud, the powerful and the rich. She also speaks of the fulfilment of God’s promises going right back to Abraham. Working outwards from her own experience (and drawing on the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2.1-10), Mary is presented here ‘doing theology’ and giving her own perspective on what the ministry of Jesus will mean. It is striking to hear the voices of these two women speaking up with faith, joy and understanding.
For Reflection:
The Micah reading and the Luke reading both indicate the action of God, and thus the presence of hope, from unlikely and marginal places, yet having a far greater impact. Where are the marginal places where hope can be found today over and against the big and challenging issues. How can we make that hope more real in the world around us?
SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER
Reading: Isaiah 40.1-10 and Reflection
Reading: Jeremiah 31.31-34
Reading: Luke 1.46-55
Reading: Luke 2.1-18
Reading: Matthew 2.1-11
Reading: John 1.1-14
Reading: Jeremiah 31.31-34
Reading: Luke 1.46-55
Reading: Luke 2.1-18
Reading: Matthew 2.1-11
Reading: John 1.1-14
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?