The parable of the Sower is so well known to us that we might switch off when it is read. This is not a reflection on Arthur’s reading today! It is a reflection of that old adage “familiarity breeds contempt.” We have heard it so many times – from Sunday school days into adulthood – that it has lost its power.
Continue readingAuthor Archives: Paul
Abraham’s Sacrifice
Abraham has always fascinated me. A man of contradictions, he is both hero and coward, with a story alternately honourable and appalling. A man who left his homeland to follow God into the unknown.
Continue readingReconciliation
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
“I shall put my Spirit within you, and you shall live!” says God to Israel.
“I am the Resurrection and the Life,” says Jesus.
And the Apostle Paul writes, “You are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.”
God offers reconciliation, and a Spirit-filled life, that in turn leads to reconciliation with others.
Continue readingThe woman at the well
It was one of the most outrageous encounters in the New Testament. Between the woman who was an outcast and the Man who was God. Bold, intelligent, theologically astute, and quick witted, this woman lived on the edges of society. Until one day, in the scorching heat of the noon-day sun, beside a deserted well, her life was transformed by an unexpected encounter with Christ.
Continue readingAre you the one?
Are you the One who is to come, or are we to wait for another? This is the question that John the Baptist asks.
Is Christ the One – that is still the question we face today.
Continue readingWhich are you – a Pharisee or a Tax Collector?
This is a tricky parable for Christians – the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. I had to ask myself an uncomfortable question – which one was I like?
Continue readingFaith and the race
Run with perseverance the race that is set before us… Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
The Epistle reading is well timed – on the heels of the Commonwealth games in Birmingham. Even if you’re not a sports fan you would’ve caught a glimpse of persevering, persistent, passionate athletes.
I remember my first race as a 3-year-old. Despite teachers trying to shoo me on, I stopped to help my friend who stumbled through the obstacle race. I looked back all the time for her. I hadn’t realised that running a race meant focus, commitment, and looking ahead to the finish line.
Continue readingWhat should we do?
“What, then, should we do?” This question is asked three times in our gospel reading – by the crowd, the tax collectors and the soldiers. To put it another way… “how, then, should we live?”
Last week we heard John the Baptist’s voice crying in the wilderness, calling for repentance. Today he is a force of fury, threatening axes, fire and judgement, and questioning the genuineness of the people’s repentance.
Imagine John the Baptist standing here on the Cathedral steps. He has been in the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey. He is strong and imposing, with wild hair. He wears a tunic of camel hair with a leather belt. His staff raised high, he points to people, loudly shouting, “You BROOD OF VIPERS!
Continue readingAll Hallows Eve
All Hallows Eve – Sunday 31st October
Here we are on All Hallows Eve, pausing to look toward a realm and life beyond Earth. Our readings speak of life beyond death and a New Eternal Heaven and Earth to come. And our hymns remind us that, as we raise our voices on Earth, we join the Heavenly realm in praising God.
Continue readingRighteousness
26th September
When preparing the sermon, I came to two conclusions. The first – we think that as Christians, we are righteous people. The second is the uncomfortable truth that we are more prone to self-righteousness than we might like to think.
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