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To speak of joy while keeping company with imprisoned John the Baptiser seems too great a stretch of the heart (and very un-Christmas like!) and yet this is where the season of Advent and faith leads us! (Advent Three. Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11) For if joy is more than holiday happiness (nothing wrong with happiness but it is very fleeting!) then joy is also for those who are limping from exile to home, and those who are reflecting on their life in prison. Sentence: “An

At this moment in history, as many times before, we can identify with the yearning and hope for a world of justice and mercy. The words of Isaiah, the psalmist, and St Paul all stir that longing for a world that lives as creatures of the Living God. And we also quicken with recognition of the need for the prophet John the Baptists words that cut through whatever disguise and distraction we may have colluded with! Sentence: “This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke whe

The challenge to awaken sounds both inviting and alarming – depending where we are in our lives and our part of the world. Many spiritual traditions have the theme of awakening as part of the path of faithfulness and the getting of wisdom. And so, in some ways, we can understand it to be part of the perennial path. However, given the focus on salvation in the Christian tradition some may be shocked to hear St Paul tell those who are already believers that they/we need to awak

Many of us are uncomfortable with the title of "King" for Jesus, for myriad reasons, hence the festival of Christ the King can seem problematic. Some of us are a little more comfortable with the naming of our festival as the Reign of Christ. I encourage you to read what I wrote previously on these set texts (The Reign of Christ. Jeremiah 23:1-6; Song of Zechariah; Colossians 1:11-20; and Luke 23: 33-43. ) as background. This year I want to explore what it might mean if the

What terribly confronting readings this week which for many of us seem to describe the times we are living in, or at least witnessing! These readings (Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost. Proper 28 (33). Luke 21:5-19; Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12; and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.) not only describes the fearful situation of the first century world in which the disciples would find themselves in but also describes the brokenness of our world! And the prophet Isaiah still speaks to ou

Jesus refers to God as the God of the living not of the dead. And in doing so Jesus claims the ever-living presence of God as the one in whom we, and those who went before us, live and move and have our being. And because of this we can dare to be a people of hope and justice and new beginnings. (Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost. Proper 27 (32). Luke 20:27-38; Haggai 2:1-2:9; Psalm 98; and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17.)   Jesus spends a considerable amount of time in Luke

All Saints is that gift of a festival in which we can remember the saints of our tradition and give thanks for their continuing witness and encouragement. And very importantly we can remember those precious to us personally and that are now gone from us. It is a festival that reminds us of that time when all tears shall be wiped away, of the cloud of witnesses to which we belong, and offers tender comfort for us who mourn particular dear ones.  I first shared this reflection

There is a theme running through much of scripture of the abundance of God and the desire of God to bless us. We hear some of that this week. In Joel and the Psalm we are reminded of God given seasons of plenty and replenishment. And the generous restoration of Israel. In Paul’s letter we hear of the abundance to come for the faithful. And in the gospel we are confronted with a new understanding of abundance – the plenty that comes to those who give up everything for the gosp

Sometimes I wish the gospel were different to what it actually is. Sometimes I wish Jesus had said “Ask for what you want and I will make sure you get all that you think you need and know that you want in a timely way that makes your life more joyful and successful and that you and those you love will never need to suffer.” But that’s not what he said. Even though sometimes some have wanted to interpret readings such as this week’s (Luke 18:1-8) in this way. But Jesus said so

Jeremiah told the remnant who were exiled in Babylon to pray for the welfare of the city which held them captive. To pray for the welfare...

“Go deeper”, said my friend’s spiritual director when her life was falling apart and no obvious way forward could be seen. And that seems...

Listening to the prophets or to our newsfeed we may well lament “Is there no balm in Gilead?” Everywhere we see appalling injury and...