Sermon 5 Feb 2012;

Mark 1 29-39 and 1 cor 9, 16-23

Paul says we have an obligation to preach the gospel. However, he also talks about cultural sensitivity when he speaks about becoming like a Jew when among Jews, like a Gentiles when among Gentiles and weak when with the weak. To be culturally sensitive today means not ‘preaching at’ people but being ready to speak when we have been given permission. Also, as in any period in history, doing works of compassion will inevitably lead people to ask about our motivation. Our motivation is to be compassionate and to share the love of God. After this the Street Pastors initiative was explained. 

Sermon 22 January 2012

Matthew 6, 19-27 and 1 John 1 5-10

I discovered over Christmas that I suffer from the Winter Blues and that the cause is a lack of light get into my eyes. Using a light that mimics the sun without the uv rays I have noticed an improvement in my mood and an increase in energy. It reminds us that we are creatures dependent on our environment and perhaps helps us understand something of what Jesus meant in verses 22 and 23 of Matthew. But there is also a spiritual meaning. John speaks of the light which reveals the truth about the sin in our lives and God’s love. Matthew places his verses about the eyes and light in the context of teaching about material things. We need to focus on God and not possessions and then our lives will be full of light. As we face uncertain economic times ahead we are promised all that we need. We are called then to a covenant with the light because God is light. 

Matthew 13, 31-33 and 44-52           

If you found treasure in a field today you would have to share the value with the owner of the field, unlike the man in Jesus parable who simply sold everything he had to own the field. It is essentially a parable about self interest based on knowing the true value of things. The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else. Murdoch has acted in self interest but he does not know the true value of things. He values money and power whilst the parable of the mustard seed teaches us that there is value in small things. But we should not judge, lest we find ourselves caught up in the net as well. Who after all has not brought a paper or a book or watched a tv programme that is not linked to Murdoch? This is why we need to wait in hope, not fear for the one who is holy and just to sort all things out.

Sermon 5 June 2011 Ascension.

This is a strange period in the Christian calendar in which Jesus ascends into heaven, the holy spirit is sent down and we think about God the holy spirit. It reminds us that Christ was somehow beyond normal physical realities and rational thought, that Christ and God are defined by a dynamic changing reality and we are invited to be part of this. We assume we are static as individual people but we are also changing. We assume that our thoughts define who we are but they are changing too. When I was a child I didn’t like the taste of beer and now I do. Christ calls us to be like children and therefore open to these possible changes. We are not talking about keeping up with the world but keeping up with God.

John 9, 1-41 and Ephesians 5, 8-14

What does it mean to awaken or to be blind but now see? Put simply it means to recognise that we are born ultimately of God. As we think of Mothers day today, we recognise that Mary had to let go of Jesus and allow him to do God’s will. The man born blind was sent to wash his eyes in the pool of siloam which means sent. To be sent, means that your purpose comes from the sender, just as a mothers day card is sent with a purpose given to its sender. Jesus was sent by God, we are sent by Jesus. That is our purpose this is what we recognise and see and waken to, that we are sent by God.

John 3,1-17 synopsis

Jesus says to Nicodemus ‘you must be born again.’ This can be translated as ‘born from above’. The fact that we are born from our mothers tells us where we come from. Being born from above is about recognising the truth that we are from God. Jesus also speaks about being baptised of the water and the spirit. Baptism symbolises the process of death and resurrection. And indeed being born again is rather like dying and rising again. Indeed if you think about a baby in the womb the whole experience of birth must have felt like dying. And so it is with being born again.

Exodus 20, 1-17 and Song of Songs 1, 1-4

What does it mean that God is a jealous God who tolerates no rivals? This seems like a rather negative word to describe God. All words used to describe God have their limitations. But perhaps it describes something of the passion and intensity of God’s love found in the Song of Songs. This is a disturbing image but nonetheless part of the love of God who desires every part of our lives.

John 8, 31-38 and 48-59

The truth shall set us free. When Jesus referred to setting his listeners free from slavery they wanted to know why he called them slaves. They forgot that as a nation they had been slaves in Egypt. The reality of political oppression is difficult to accept because it attacks our dignity, self worth and pride. This is equally the case with slavery of sin. So how can we be free? By following the truth of Jesus’ life. This was one that did not seek honour but rather service. It is when we no longer need to grasp for status or position or honour but recognised that we are enslaved that we can be truly free.

Luke 14, 7-14 and Jeremiah 2, 9-13

In this passage Jesus comments on how we behave at dinner tables and advises us to take the lowest place rather than presume to sit in the best place. What then would he make of Come Dine With Me on TV in which dinner parties have become a competition? Jesus is giving practical advice about dinner parties but also about the place of humility in God’s kingdom. He also suggests we invite those who cannot invite us back, thus exposing how many of our actions are motivated by self interest. All of this amounts to the challenge of finding our whole security and life in God, who, as Jeremiah describes it, is like a spring of water. This is contrasted by Jeremiah’s description of people attempting to secure everything for themselves, as being like cracked cisterns which only let the water leak away.

Mark 7, 1-23
Is religion good or bad for a person?

Purely outward forms of religious practise as demonstrated by the Pharisees can lead to spiritual pride and judgement upon others. It can also lead to an avoidance of obedience to the spirit of God’s laws which is replaced by a legalistic obedience to the letter of the law.  Outward forms of religion can also lead to an unquestioning blind faith which is quite immature.
For Jesus and the gentile and Jewish community Mark was writing for, one issue was whether all foods should be eaten and Jesus is recorder as saying yes.
But the issue is really what comes from inside you.
It is only when we acknowledge the truth of our darker sides and allow this truth to be met and transformed by the love and grace of God that we can be transformed. This is good religion.