Category: Sermon

Jesus calling himself the Good Shepherd was a huge claim. It built on all number of passages in Scripture. But Jesus has other flocks too…

I may not have recognised my husband, but an ordinary act at the start of a meal showed Cleopas and his companion that they were in the presence of the risen Christ.

Lazarus has to do that for himself. He chooses to rise and return to the living, walking tentatively from the shadows towards the light.

If I asked what qualities you look for in a mother, what would you come up with? In Hagar, we have someone, who, against all odds, survives.

God says that he doesn’t look at appearances, he looks on the heart. David is ‘the one’ and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him.

Do we not want to understand what being born again means? Do we think we are alright with God, that our place in the kingdom is assured?

Shema Yisrael! Hear, O Israel! The word shema means more than listen. It means obey. Do something. If you don’t do, then you’ve not heard.

We need to figure out who we are and what we should be doing. What kind of mother or father, husband or wife, son or daughter will we be?

Jesus no longer dazzles. He’s back in his dusty robes when we meet the second beloved son. One at the top of the mountain. One at the bottom.

Genesis. In Hebrew it’s B’resheet. ‘In beginning. A book of beginnings. We see the dawning of our universe, our world and ourselves.

Luke quickly introduces Simeon and then Anna. He introduces song and passion and expectancy. Now we get to look forward to the future.

In our Gospel reading from John today, we have another question that could just as easily have been included: ‘What are you looking for?’

That seems like a good New Year’s resolution for each one of us. To carry those words with us each and every day, like the people of old.

And the centre of this faith thing is that the God thing did actually come down and become human. He consecrated and endorsed our humanity.

Isaiah spoke a word of hope and joy that was out of place with the rest of the narrative. A word that wouldn’t wait until things improved.