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What a wonderful foretaste of the life that emerges in the midst of death – the hope that is stronger than fear and despair. (Lent Five. John 11:1-45;  Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; and Romans 8:6-11.) But these readings do not deny the depths of grief and loss that we endure. Rather resurrection emerges in the very midst of suffering. Sentence: “The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him

This week we are invited to explore how God sees us; how well or blindly we see; and how this process of being seen, of being exposed to the light, can transform us. (Lent Four. John 9:1-41; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; and Ephesians 5:8-14.) Sentence: “ … for once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” Ephesians 5:8-9   Collect: Gracious God, Long ago your Son

We are a thirsty hungry people, hard to satisfy for long, and so many of us are prone to restless searching. One of the gifts of Lent is the invitation to sit, even in the midday sun, by a well and meet the one who offers more than we knew we needed or was possible. (Lent Three. John 4:5-42.)  Sentence: “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I wi

There are many stories about Jesus physically healing those who are blind and there are also many teaching moments about spiritual blindness – often aimed at the disciples or in this case the learned Pharisee, Nicodemus. (Lent Two. John 3:1-17) Sentence: “Jesus answered him. ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ ” John 3:3   Collect: You who made everything and everyone and saw that it was good. Your beloved Son knew our fl

Lent always begins this way - with us accompanying Jesus into the wilderness. We come to witness his journey towards Jerusalem and the cross for us. And we come to learn how and where we too must travel through life and death into new life. Sentence: “Therefore just as one person’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one person’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” Romans 5:18   Collect: Compassionate God, We step out on the path your Beloved S

The journey of Lent and Easter is a remembering and discovering that life comes out of death and it begins with Ash Wednesday and the solemn reminder that we are but dust and to dust we shall return! We remember that this was the journey of Jesus for us and as one of us. And we discover that this is our journey also. An interior journey that we make in the company of others. Sentence: “And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces t

Celebrating The Transfiguration just before Lent reminds us that the fully human one – Jesus who fully enters our life and struggles and will experience the reality of violence and death - is also the fully divine one.  A being who shines with holy light. It is as though for a moment the full nature of Jesus is revealed so that we might know who he was and who we are called to become. No one less that God’s fullness has come to dwell with us in the ruins of our individual and

If we are indeed to become salt of the earth and a light on a hill we need to locate ourselves in the tradition of justice and mercy, right action and compassion, that the prophets spoke so challengingly about. (Fifth Sunday after Epiphany. Matthew 5:13-20; Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12); Psalm 112:1-10; and 1 Corinthians 2:1-12.) Sentence:  “Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break

Still in the season of Epiphany - the season of seeing and feeling how the coming of the light is both a beacon of hope and a disturber of those who do not want change or righteousness or mercy to come - still the readings come that speak into our conflicted experience at this time. (Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. Matthew 5:1-12; Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.) Sentence: “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us wh

Many of us have heard, or even preached, a stirring message on being called to discipleship based on these texts (Third Sunday after Epiphany. Matthew 4:12-23; Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27; and 1 Corinthians 1:10-18.). Mostly suggesting that it is personal darkness and sin that we are called out of. And yes, many persons have found the light in response to being called and answering that call. And many more individuals are still in need of the light and repentance and redemption. B

At this precarious moment in history it is comforting and challenging to be reminded that we are called into partnership with Christ. (Second Sunday after Epiphany. John 1:29-42; Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; and 1 Corinthians 1:1-9.) So often we hear the story of being called as about beginnings, the moment we first hear our name called. Which for many of us was an exciting moment – and may generations to come also feel the excitement and respond – but now we find ourselves

In the blink of an eye, a turn of the page, one Sunday to the next, we move from acknowledging the arrival of the magi and their kingly gifts for the baby, and turn to celebrating the Baptism and commissioning of Jesus as a mature and fully formed preacher, healer and saviour! (Baptism of our Lord. Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; and Matthew 3:13-17.) And the theme of disturbance that we explored last week continues this week. Last week we considered the disturbance t