Tag: Sermon

How different would things have been if the church had taken the towel and the bowl from the foot washing as its sign rather than the cross?

This week it’s a vine, branches – and an Ethiopian in a chariot. We’re still in Easter Season and still getting a sense of who this Jesus is.

In the Wilderness, God showed up – and if he didn’t, the people perished. But people soon forget. They did then – and we do now.

There’s a theme today of listening for the shepherd’s voice… the nearest most of us get are woolly jumpers, shepherd’s pie and Countryfile.

Seeing is believing. Or is it? Do we believe everything we read in the newspapers or see on television or on film. Not always and rightly so.

Mark the brief. Mark the sometimes hasty; Mark who gets to the point and gets there quickly. And the point is: HE HAS BEEN RAISED!

Is your least favourite time of the church year Maundy Thursday? And for no other reason than because it’s the ‘Washing of Feet Day’?

Did you notice something un-expected in our Gospel reading today from Mark? Frankly, Jesus acts like he’s a day-tripping tourist.

Jeremiah isn’t often known for hope and consolation. Indeed he has a reputation for being a miserable so-and-so, mournful and sorrowful.

Noah got out of the ark, gave thanks to God, had a barbecue, where he burnt everything and then he got drunk. Maybe it was on a Friday night?

Sometimes that’s all we are asked or called to do. To simply say to someone: ‘come and see’. I wonder how often we do it though.

In Matthew, John says to Jesus: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus’ answer, spoken or not, is “I come to you”.

He takes time to talk about being ‘beloved’ – but there’s no loitering in fields with shepherds or journeying in search of a wandering star.

Perhaps we can imagine a huge star of wonder hanging over us right now, there for all to see and to respond to, guiding others to find Jesus.

John wanted to shout it out. He repeatedly uses the word ‘proclaim’, he wanted to get it out there, to tell everyone. And what was this news?