So far in this series we have watched the author Luke follow Mark’s account of the life of Jesus into the uncertainty of new places, new beginnings and ultimately death. With today’s readings we are brought face-to-face with Luke’s single-minded understanding of this ministry of Jesus and what it means to be his disciple. The […]
The power of presence
We are surrounded by a babble of words. Do we increase their volume or allow for a moment of silence where we communicate through the power of presence? Politicians and preachers offer slogans for the times but today pause and wait – there is power in silence. The doctor showed only mild professional interest in […]
Theology is poor people’s speech about their hopes and dreams
On Easter Day I wore a Central American highly ornamented white stole as we shared the Eucharist. I wore it again at last week’s funeral service that celebrated our friend Robin Brampton’s life. On both occasions I explained its history. And this morning, to celebrate the Church season of Trinity, I am wearing it again […]
God always shows a human face
Dear God, we pray for another way of being … Long ago I made it a rule to always try to preach on the hard texts of the Bible. Today’s reading depends on one of these, so while you have the selection from the Gospel in front of you – that is John 14: 8-17 – […]
Balancing Fear and Love as the Frames of our Humanity
The essential theme of today’s Gospel reading is unity – to be one with each other as Jesus was one with God. This morning I want to suggest a values rather than text-book meaning for these puzzling words. Church in my younger days was more formal, more doctrinally passionate than it is for most of […]