Nov 30, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
Isaiah 64: 1-9, Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9, Mark 13: 24-37 During this season of ADVENT, we will use the metaphor of growing a garden to prepare our hearts, souls, and minds for the birth of Jesus. Imagine a garden that no-one has looked after for a...
Nov 23, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
It is obvious that with these words, recorded in Matthew 25, Jesus wants us to be uncomfortable; and he wants us to open our eyes, ears and hearts to the needs of those around us. Because none of us has been as attentive to others’ needs as we could have been,...
Nov 23, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
This parable is about security and risk. It’s about how we use what God has given us, and it confronts me as I read it. It is about fear and how we let it control our lives – or not. God is a great risk-taker. He gave himself to this world in the form of Jesus...
Nov 9, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
The story of the ten bridesmaids is a story of anticipation and readiness which encourages us to be awake and prepared for the return of Jesus “because you do not know the day or the hour”. It was addressed to the disciples in private as they sat with him...
Nov 9, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
We are tempted to gloss over the first words of Jesus in this significant part of Matthew’s Gospel: “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but...
Oct 24, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
This reading is part of a letter sent to the people of Thessalonica by Paul. It gives a number of images about how Paul passed on information about God to the people of Thessalonica. One of these images was about “not to please mortals, but to please God”. I...
Oct 17, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
Give to the Emperor the things that belong to the Emperor and give to God the things that belong to God”. Coins at the time of Jesus were used to tell people various things – in this case the coin was likely to be telling the people which Emperor was currently in...
Oct 17, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
A wedding banquet – an exciting occasion. The people invited to this banquet would have been the rich and influential people of the area. Today an invitation would say: come on ……….. day and at ……………. Time. An invitation at the time of Jesus would not have had...
Oct 6, 2023 | EXPLORING THE BIBLE, NEWS
One of the commandments that God gave Moses and the Israelite people was to work for six days only and to rest on the seventh. I value having times of rest. That is rest from running around seeing people, being part of meetings and doing everything that needs to be...
