Tag: Ian Banks

‘I’m just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood’. Do we misunderstand when Jesus talks about a yoke?

Out of whatever pain and grief that we may be in right now, may we too know newness of life. To both grieve a loss and celebrate a life.

Are you harassed and helpless? Do you just look that way but inside everything is calm and peaceful! Would you walk alongside those who are?

Most of you will know by now that we suddenly lost our son, Stuart, last week. We still expect him…

We need to think about which words to use. What areas of common ground are there which are consistent with our message but understood by all?

It says that Stephen fell asleep. For the theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, he falls asleep because he died praying forgiveness for his enemies.

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…

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.

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.