The covenant of love If my good friends who are LGBTQ+, will forgive me, I wish to reclaim the rainbow as a sign of covenant. I had the kind of Sunday-school upbringing that attributes to the rainbow a divine promise of covenant initiated by God. It is of course the first covenant mentioned in the Bible, andContinue reading “Reclaiming the Rainbow”
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Everlasting God
Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11, 20c 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 What sort of names are you known by? Some words describe relationships, others point to accomplishments, some speak of employment or leisure activity: family words mother, father, son daughter; work words – friend, colleague, employer, employee; Choir words -Soprano, contralto, tenor, bass Church words – steward,Continue reading “Everlasting God”
Transformation
Lectionary readings for Sunday 14th February 2021: 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50: 1-62 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 1Continue reading “Transformation”
Arise and Shine
Lectionary readings for the 17th January: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51 Second set: Isaiah 60:9-22 Psalm 96 Hebrews 6:17—7:10 Mathew 8:5-13 We should hardly dare to ask that any notice be taken of ourselves. But we pine. The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, theContinue reading “Arise and Shine”
Response to the Christ child
Lectionary readings: Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Two men looked out through the same bars One saw mud and the other saw stars. (Frederick Langridge, 1896) And so begins 2021, a New Year with mixed emotions: mourning, fear, weariness, hope and joy. It is perhaps with added poignancy that Methodists will be turning to the annual covenantContinue reading “Response to the Christ child”
Joy is the serious business of heaven
Lectionary readings for the third Sunday in Advent: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Psalm 126 or Magnificat (Luke 1:46b-55) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28 God of all joy, you draw us to yourself, through the grace given to us in Jesus Christ. Mould us into the family likeness so that as we live and breathe, we live eachContinue reading “Joy is the serious business of heaven”
Christ the King
Lectionary readings: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Psalm 95:1-7a Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 O come, and let us to the Lord in songs our voices raise, with joyful noise let us the Rock of our salvation praise. Let us before his presence come with praise and thankful voice; let us sing psalms to him with grace, and make aContinue reading “Christ the King”
Remembrance Sunday
Lectionary Readings: Micah 4:1-8, Psalm 46, Romans 8:31-35, John 15:9-17 Call to worship: The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. James 3:17-18 AContinue reading “Remembrance Sunday”
All Saints
For All Saints, I used the following pieces of music in church: For all the saints who from their labour rest Soon and very soon we are going to see the King (Andrae Crouch) Worthy is the Lamb & Amen from Handel’s Messiah And the reading was Revelation 7:9-17 There is a thin line betweenContinue reading “All Saints”
On Prayer
Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 Introduction Michael Berkeley was in conversation with David Nott, consultant surgeon and Professor of Surgery at Imperial College London last Sunday on Radio 3. Here is a man who has worked tirelessly for over a quarter of a century in some of the most appalling war zones round the world. The professorContinue reading “On Prayer”
Worship at home 