“The righteous will shine like the sun, in the Kingdom of their Father,” says Jesus in the Parable of the Wheat and weeds. Pause for a moment to think of that. He means us. Even though we are often so unrighteous in the here and now!
My very first encounter of the “righteous shining like the sun” was in the face and very presence of a Methodist minister.
Continue readingAre you a troublemaker? This is what Paul and Silas are called in Philippi. They were accused of troubling the city. Today, Christians are rarely viewed as troublemakers. In fact, the church today is riddled with respectability. Continue reading
Patristic Exegesis… is receiving renewed interest from proponents of Theological Interpretation. Discuss the relevance of pre-modern exegesis for post-modern exegesis from your perspective, and describe what use Patristic exegesis might be for your own ministry.
We enter the task of exegesis, as those called to ministry, with reverence and holy fear. Exegesis may be described as that which
…openeth the window, to let in the light, that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most Holy place; that removeth the cover of the well, that we may come by the water. [ 1 ]Orignal Preface 1611, The King James Version, 1611 <http://www.kjvbibles.com/kjpreface.htm> (Accessed April 2016)
Taken from the 1611 Original Preface to the King James Bible, and referring to the translation of the Word, it echoes perfectly the hope and desire of exegesis.[ 2 ]Translation, moreover, requires interpretation and exegesis. Continue reading
References
| ↑1 | Orignal Preface 1611, The King James Version, 1611 <http://www.kjvbibles.com/kjpreface.htm> (Accessed April 2016) |
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| ↑2 | Translation, moreover, requires interpretation and exegesis. |
What lessons might we learn for our understanding of hierarchy and the nature of Christian leadership from the papacy of Francis 1? Are these transferable to an Irish Anglican Context?
Introduction
On the night of his election, Francis I[ 1 ]For the purpose of this essay, and the need for brevity, I will refer to Francis I / Pope Francis as Francis emerged in his habitual black trousers and overcoat, and asked to be driven around the city to watch the celebrations. The next morning he wore the same garb to the chapel. Francis began the highest position of leadership of the Catholic Church as he meant to continue, turning centuries of papal lifestyle and tradition on its head Continue reading
References
| ↑1 | For the purpose of this essay, and the need for brevity, I will refer to Francis I / Pope Francis as Francis |
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A Sri Lankan friend told me about a chauffeur she hired. He was confident and drove well on the test drive. But a few days later, careering and swerving madly in the chaotic city traffic he was clearly out of his depth. He then confessed he had only driven on country roads and not for ten years. He was well-intentioned, but completely unrealistic about the demands of modern city driving, and totally unprepared for the reality.
Continue readingThe Transfiguration story is strange. Transfiguration literally means “metamorphosis” – a slightly more familiar idea. We know about the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly, or the tadpole into a frog. And on Valentine’s Day, perhaps a frog, if you kiss the right one, may be transformed into a prince. Continue reading
As part of my placement with St Clements and the Dock Café, I sat in on the Mission planning meeting with the bishop some weeks ago. It was exciting and thought-provoking to be with a congregation thinking about the future, and I was inspired by the presentations about a vision for reaching the community with God’s love. (And, because I am training for ordination, I took down a lot of notes and ideas – which I hope you won’t mind me using someday). So thank you to Chris and all of you for inviting me to sit in on the meeting.
The mission meeting at St Clements also set me thinking. About how easy or difficult it is for us in the church to welcome people in? To associate with people from various backgrounds, with various histories, with those that our society considers outcasts and sinners? Continue reading
I recently watched a documentary series by Stephen Hawking about the beginning and end of the Universe. This is serious “end times” stuff. And it isn’t very nice at all. We could be blasted by a passing giant asteroid (last time the dinosaurs went extinct, but this time it could destroy all life on Earth). Or a nearby star could explode in a supernova and finish us off… in fact it could already have happened, and its devastating shock waves could be heading towards us this very minute. Continue reading
The film Trainspotting opens with John Hodges’ cynical poem that uses the same phrase, “Choose life”, that we read of in Deuteronomy, in a bitter rejection of life and its meaningless choices:
“Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a big Television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electric tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage… Choose your future. Choose life.” Continue reading
We are big on doing things our own way. We often say “I have the right to live my life the way I choose”. As a child, I upheld this virtuously – and often told adults “I will do it my way”. It drove adults around me nuts. And because spanking was common, back then, my wanting to do things my way often also left me smarting. Yet it never stopped me.
But isn’t “doing things our way” a norm for adult life as well? Continue reading