Tag: Ian Banks

The word of God is not always comfortable to carry. But Jeremiah can also say: “Yet the Lord is with me.” Even in frustration, even in fear, even in anger, he cannot quite let go of the God who has called him.

Being God’s “treasured possession” is not presented as a blank cheque for superiority or entitlement. It is covenant language. Relational language. Vocational language. Israel is chosen not for privilege, but for purpose.

The Trinity: The music that holds you:
Blessed are you standing at the edge of mystery, trying to name what cannot be contained…

‘Add to Playlist: the Sound of the Spirit’ looks at Pentecost through the lens of the popular Radio 4 music programme…

Paul tells us that God is not far from each one of us. Jesus tells us that the Spirit will be in you. And the Ezra Collective reminds us that you have been given feet for dancing.

Here are two blessings for those approaching ordination, one based firmly on the Anglican Ordinal

So, we come back to where we began: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Not because life will be simple. Not because loss will not come. Not because questions will be answered quickly…

We walk. We talk. We wonder. And slowly, perhaps, we begin to realise that we have not been alone on the road. Not for a moment.

I sometimes wonder about the person the Gospel never mentions. Because the Gospel tells us something intriguing about Thomas. He’s called the Twin.

Expect a third day. Not always quickly. Not always in the way we imagine. But the third day comes. A day when what was hidden is revealed; when what was broken begins to heal; when what seemed dead begins to live.

‘What ifs?’ looks at the implications of two opposites of what actually happened. The first is if Christ had avoided the cross. The second is if he had not been raised from the dead.

On Monday, the house was filled with fragrance. Yesterday, the seed fell into the earth. Tonight, it is night. John…

‘Glory in the dark earth – or “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”‘ looks at the arrival of the Greeks, who wanted to see Jesus, and seeds which must first be buried to bear fruit.

In the first of three Holy Week sermons, ‘Costly love – or “I will always love you”‘ – takes a look at Mary as she pours everything out, and a house filled with perfume.

Thelma Schoonmaker reminded us that editing is not about cutting things out randomly. It is about deciding what the audience must see, what they must sit with, and what they are not allowed to escape too quickly. In that sense, I believe that film editing has something very important to tell us about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.