Lectionary 07/07/2024
- Proper 9 (14) - Year B
Lectionary Readings
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Blind Guides
Blind Guides
by Dave Hopwood
Feet of Clay and the Breath of God Bible Ref: Isaiah 42; Matthew 5-8 & 10; Mark 3; Luke 6 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to …
Hidden Treasure and Precious Pearls
Hidden Treasure and Precious Pearls
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
The Death of John the Baptist
The Death of John the Baptist
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
Jesus Walks on Water
Jesus Walks on Water
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
The Bread of Life
The Bread of Life
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
What Makes a Person Unclean
What Makes a Person Unclean
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
A Persistent Canaanite Woman
A Persistent Canaanite Woman
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
Jesus Heals a Deaf Mute
Jesus Heals a Deaf Mute
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand People
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand People
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the linkin…
The Pharisees Ask for a Sign
The Pharisees Ask for a Sign
by Dave Hopwood
Food and Water Bible Ref: Matthew 9-11 & 13-16; Mark 6-8; Luke 9; John 6-7 Each of the following sketches (scenes) can be used to form the basis for a complete act of worship or used as individual scenes on separate occasions. Each scene will require a narrator to read the link…
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Wednesday: Second Week in Lent Year B
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Wednesday: Second Week in Lent Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B WEEK 2: WEDNESDAY... ...People sometimes have the idea that the world of the Bible is rather like the world of some old churches: quiet, serious, a bit old-fashioned, with nobody ever doing or saying anything to shock or frighten people. Sometimes, i…
Mark for Everyone - A Prophet in His Own Town
Mark for Everyone - A Prophet in His Own Town
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 6.1–6 A Prophet in His Own Town... ...Most preachers can remember the first time they stood up to preach in front of their own parents. It’s not the same as with other things people do. If you’re a musician, they probably heard you practising when you were …
Mark for Everyone - The Twelve Sent Out
Mark for Everyone - The Twelve Sent Out
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 6.7–13 The Twelve Sent Out... ...‘No time for coffee this morning,’ I told my teenage son today. ‘You’ve got a train to catch. You need to be at that meeting.’ He had emerged, sleepily, half an hour before his train left; it takes at least 20 minutes to get…
Twelve Months of Sundays Year B - Proper 9 Year B
Twelve Months of Sundays Year B - Proper 9 Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Proper 9 2 Samuel 5.1-5, 9-10 2 Corinthians 12.2-10 Mark 6.1-13 The paradoxes of power. David bided his time, refused to lift up his hand against God’s anointed (though he knew himself to be anointed also), and then at last became king in a further anointing. The move to Jerusale…
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - Proper 9 Year B
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - Proper 9 Year B
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
Proper 9 Mark 6: 1-13 Gaze on all the preparations we make for a journey these days. Count the suitcases, shoulder bags, plastic bags, camera cases and picnic hampers that we pile into the back of the car. Today we even need ‘SatNav’ to find our way for us. Gone are the days when…
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Proper 9 Year B
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Proper 9 Year B
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Proper 9 Ezekiel 2:1-5 2 Corinthians 12: 2-10 Mark 6: 1-13 ‘This passage of 2 Corinthians has caused enormous speculation down the ages. It is tantalisingly full of hints about Paul, which may have made sense to his readers but which we can only fill out with hyperactive imaginin…
Meditation: Whose bone and flesh are we?
Meditation: Whose bone and flesh are we?
by Andrew Pratt
Meditation: Whose bone and flesh are we? Whose bone and flesh are we? Who reigns above our lives? For forty years or four a human monarch has limited tenure, meagre power. And then what? Then who or what is God? What is our greatest concern? Only you, only I, can answer that? A…
Poem: God speaks
Poem: God speaks
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: God speaks How wonderful to hear the call from God to give your all-in-all. To hear, within some sacred space, that God has given you a place that only you alone can fill, as long as you obey God’s will. You wait to answer, to agree, ‘Yes, I am ready, Lord. Send me.’ But th…
Hymn: Our call: to prophesy with love
Hymn: Our call: to prophesy with love
by Andrew Pratt
Our call: to prophesy with love, within a hostile place to walk with rebels, challenge thieves, where hate and greed debase; to face political intrigue where boundaries are blurred, where wrong can masquerade as right, and yet, not be deterred. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: CLAUDIUS (F…
Prayer: Facing contempt
Prayer: Facing contempt
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Facing contempt Dear God, it is so difficult to deal with the contemptuous attitude that some people have towards our faith and our work for you. It’s as if they have a mind-set that blinds itself to any good that we do and only focuses on imagined practices that we do no…
Poem: Durham cathedral
Poem: Durham cathedral
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Durham cathedral Twin towers stand high and proud over trees and river. Captured in paint and picture, the image unmistakeable. Draw closer. Climb steep streets, turn a corner to the Green. feel the weight and power of this building daring all-comers to challenge its author…
Hymn: Visions of paradise: heaven disclosing
Hymn: Visions of paradise: heaven disclosing
by Andrew Pratt
Visions of paradise: heaven disclosingsomething of beauty, of joy and delight; colours cascading that shimmer before us, tempting from darkness to temples of light. But we are grounded, the earth pulls, constrains us, keeping us close to the things that we know. Ours is the commo…
Drama: People of Nazareth
Drama: People of Nazareth
by Marjorie Dobson
Drama: People of Nazareth This can be performed by seven people – six reading a sentence from each section and one concluding with the Bible quotation, or any number that is available. I knew him when they first came here, when there were all those rumours about her being an unma…
Hymn: Familiar man
Hymn: Familiar man
by Andrew Pratt
Familiar man, beneath contempt, they knew him all too well, a common carpenter from town without a tale to tell. And now the words they heard contained authority and power. They listened to each utterance and soon their thoughts turned sour. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: MACPHERSON’S F…
Luke for Everyone - Jesus Sends Out the Seventy
Luke for Everyone - Jesus Sends Out the Seventy
by SPCK - N T Wright
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy Luke 10.1-16 I had lunch with a friend who told me how, earlier in the year, his teenage son had been taken seriously ill. For weeks he had been going to doctors and specialists, all of whom had been puzzled by his symptoms. Finally he went to a senior…
Luke for Everyone - The Celebration of Jesus
Luke for Everyone - The Celebration of Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Celebration of Jesus Luke 10.17-24 What was it like being Jesus? That’s one of the hardest questions for anyone reading the gospels, but this passage gives us some clues. It’s all too easy for Christians to make the mistake of thinking that he just sailed through life with ea…
2 Corinthians - The Vision and the Thorn
2 Corinthians - The Vision and the Thorn
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Vision and the Thorn 2 CORINTHIANS 12.1-10 Daedalus was a legendary Greek sculptor and craftsman, famous throughout the ancient world for his many clever inventions. It’s probable that he really did exist, though many of the stories about him and his work are clearly made up …
With My WholeHeart - Psalm 64:6-7, 10
With My WholeHeart - Psalm 64:6-7, 10
by SPCK - James Jones
Psalm 64:6-7, 10 The fate of the enemy in the psalms is an inescapable motif and a problem for many. The origin of evil and sin has perplexed the human mind since the days of Adam and Eve. The sad truth is that, whatever the cause, the human heart can secretly harbour in its dept…
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - Sources
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - Sources
by SPCK - N T Wright
Part 1: PAUL AND HIS WORLD Chapter One RETURN OF THE RUNAWAY? 2 Philemon and the Study of Paul (v) Sources The first question most historians ask has to do with sources. Here we face a problem as much of scholarly fashion as of historical substance. Since the present volume is de…
Psalms for Everyone - Is This the City?
Psalms for Everyone - Is This the City?
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Is This the City? Psalm 48 When my first wife and I moved to the United States, people would ask what I would miss about England, to which I would answer not fish and chips or even Indian food but proximity to France and to Israel. Since the move I haven’t been to Israel, partly …
Psalms for Everyone - When the Knock Comes to Your Door
Psalms for Everyone - When the Knock Comes to Your Door
by SPCK - John Goldingay
When the Knock Comes to Your Door Psalm 64 I was just checking the U.S. State Department’s current travel warnings, a list of places where “long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable lead the State Department to recommend that Americans avoid or co…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Cynics and Sceptics
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Cynics and Sceptics
by SPCK - N T Wright
3. Athene and Her Owl: the Wisdom of the Greeks (v) Cynics and Sceptics From Stoicism proper it is a short step to that disparate phenomenon – more of a mood than a movement – that was called Cynicism. The Cynics (again, our English meanings let us down here, though there is some…
Journeying With Mark Year B - Christmas
Journeying With Mark Year B - Christmas
by SPCK - Woodward, Gooder and Pryce
2 Christmas Exploring the text Mark’s Gospel provides slim pickings at Christmas time. Unlike the Gospels of Matthew and Luke it provides no run-up to the birth of Jesus and no account of the events surrounding his birth. It does not even, like John’s Gospel, provide a poetic int…
Journeying With Mark Year B - Ordinary Time
Journeying With Mark Year B - Ordinary Time
by SPCK - Woodward, Gooder and Pryce
7 Ordinary Time Exploring the text The aim of Mark’s Gospel is to introduce us to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There are many ways in which we can encounter him – for example, through his calling of his followers or in the moments of great revelation at the baptism, transfigurat…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The bounding lion
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The bounding lion
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The bounding lion Mark’s style, structure and narrative technique Whenever Aslan does appear in the Narnia stories, he dashes from place to place as he is needed in great leaps and bounds: ‘he rushes on and on, never missing his footing, never hesitating’ (The Lion, the Witch and…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The beast of conflict
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The beast of conflict
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The beast of conflict Opposition and ministry, Mark 1—8 One thing is clear about lions in every age and culture: they are powerful fighters with a keen sense of territory. After the opening flurry of chapter 1, Jesus starts to roam far and wide around the northern territories by …
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The lion and his pride
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The lion and his pride
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The lion and his pride The role of the disciples A lion must have his pride – and a rabbi, his disciples. However, are Jesus’ disciples his ‘pride and joy’? On the one hand, they are the people Jesus calls to share his roamings and his battles; on the other hand, their attention …
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What kind of animal is this creature?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What kind of animal is this creature?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What kind of animal is this creature? Identity and interlude, Mark 8—10 So, everybody misunderstands Jesus during the first half of this gospel – his family (3.21–35), the crowds (4.10–12), the Gerasenes (5.17), his own home town (6.1–6), the religious leaders (7.6; 8.11–12) and …
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Mountains
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Mountains
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Mountains For some strange reason, human beings connect mountains with God. In many ancient religions, worship took place on the ‘high places’. Even today, we talk of ‘mountain-top experiences’, despite having left behind the notion that mountains are closer to God’s supposed dwe…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book V (Psalms 107-150) Book V of the Psalter opens with Psalm 107, a community hymn celebrating God’s graciousness in delivering the community of faith from exile in Babylon. The psalmist says: “Let the redeemed of YHWH say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book II
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book II
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book II (Psalms 42-72) Book II of the Psalter, like Book I, contains many lament psalms. But unlike Book I, not all of the psalms are attributed to David. The Korahites, who were, according to the book of Chronicles, temple singers during the reigns of David and Solomon, mix thei…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status, Power, and Children: The Story of Hannah
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status, Power, and Children: The Story of Hannah
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Status, Power, and Children: The Story of Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2) The books of Samuel begin with the story of the birth of a son to a woman previously childless. According to the narrative, Hannah, the favored wife of Elkanah, has no children, because YHWH has “closed her womb.” Ha…
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - Mark's gospel A Drama in Three Acts
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - Mark's gospel A Drama in Three Acts
by BRF - Dick France
MARK’S GOSPEL- A DRAMA in THREE ACTS After a prologue which sets the scene, Mark’s story unfolds in three main sections, each of which has a distinct geographical setting: 1:1–13 Prologue (set in ‘the wilderness’) 1:14—8:21 Act 1: Galilee 8:22—10:52 …
The Women's Bible Commentary - The House of David and the House of Saul
The Women's Bible Commentary - The House of David and the House of Saul
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The House of David and the House of Saul At the end of 1 Samuel, Saul and three of his sons are killed in battle. Second Samuel begins with David’s reaction to the deaths of Saul and his sons…
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - A Difficult Visit to Nazareth
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - A Difficult Visit to Nazareth
by BRF - Dick France
A Difficult Visit to Nazareth Nazareth was a small, rather insignificant village tucked away in the hills between the lake of Galilee and the Mediterranean, and away from the main centres of population. It was Jesus’ home (1:9, 24), but for the whole of his public activity so far…
Twelve Months of Sundays Year B - Proper 9 - Year B
Twelve Months of Sundays Year B - Proper 9 - Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Proper 9 Year B The paradoxes of power. David bided his time, refused to lift up his hand against God’s anointed (though he knew himself to be anointed also), and then at last became king in a further anointing. The move to Jerusalem was politically shrewd (though obscured by the…
Traces of Glory Year B - Proper 9 - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - Proper 9 - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
Proper 9 O Lord of light and vision, open our eyes to behold your presence, to perceive your love and to see your presence for us; that rejoicing in your presence and strengthened by your love we may do your will and become what you have called us to be; through Jesus Christ our …
Fresh Thoughts for Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 71 05/07/15
Fresh Thoughts for Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 71 05/07/15
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A selection of commentary, reflection and prayer ideas from various Christian authors and the full bible texts from the NRSV for this week's lectionary. NOW INCLUDING SERIALISED BOOKS FROM SPCK AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BRF. Check below for details. Subscribe to Fresh Thoughts For S…
Times and Seasons - Full Service - Proper 9 (14) - Year B
Times and Seasons - Full Service - Proper 9 (14) - Year B
by Andrew Pratt and Marjorie Dobson
Fifth Sunday after Trinity Proper 9 (14) - Year B Service contents: Hymn: Let all the world in every corner sing or Visions of paradise: heaven disclosing Meditation: Where ever we worship, let us imagine, close your eyes if you will. Prayer: Whose bone and flesh are we? Psalm 48…
glimpses of glory - The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany - Year C
glimpses of glory - The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany O Lord our God, you created us out of love, you redeemed us by your love, you sustain us with your love. Let the glory of your love be seen in us, that we may reflect your presence and show forth your love in the world; through Jesus Christ your Son …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status Crisis and the Cross
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Status Crisis and the Cross
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Status Crisis and the Cross The status problems hinted at in chapters 1–7 are presented in chapters 10–13 as a full-blown crisis. Paul has been shamed and humiliated by some rivals he calls “super-apostles,” itinerant ministers who have captured the minds and hearts of his Corint…
CHRISTIANITY AND THE RENEWAL OF NATURE - 1d Creative engagement with nature
CHRISTIANITY AND THE RENEWAL OF NATURE - 1d Creative engagement with nature
by SPCK - Sebastian C.H. Kim and Jonathan Draper
Creative engagement with nature Renewing the face of the earth, then, is an enterprise not of imposing some private human vision on a passive nature but of living in such a way as to bring more clearly to light the interconnectedness of all things and their dependence on what we …
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 227
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by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A selection of commentary, reflection and prayer ideas from various Christian authors and the full bible texts from the NRSV for this week's lectionary. NOW INCLUDING SERIALISED BOOKS FROM SPCK AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BRF. Check below for details. Subscribe to Fresh Thoughts For S…
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by SPCK - Jane Williams
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by SPCK - John Goldingay
You Are Not Alone Psalm 3 When I watch a thriller such as one from The Bourne Identity trilogy, I wonder what it would be like to have everyone against me and not be able to trust anyone. Then I come out of the story at the end and realize that it’s just a story. But last night w…
Psalms for Everyone - Will God Let You In? Will God Let You In?
Psalms for Everyone - Will God Let You In? Will God Let You In?
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Will God Let You In? Will God Let You In? Psalm 24 Five days before the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal in September 1973, aiming to recapture Sinai from Israel, I was in Sinai climbing what in Arabic is called “Mount Moses,” the mountain traditionally regarded as Mount Sina…
Psalms for Everyone - How to Be Codependent
Psalms for Everyone - How to Be Codependent
by SPCK - John Goldingay
How to Be Codependent Psalm 20 In our church we are in the midst of accepting that we can no longer afford a full-time rector. As a result I am becoming the only priest involved with the church on a regular basis, presiding at services and preaching except on occasions when I ask…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Mountains around Jerusalem, Yahweh around His People
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Mountains around Jerusalem, Yahweh around His People
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Mountains around Jerusalem, Yahweh around His People Psalm 124-125 Last weekend we overheard a conversation on the San Francisco subway in which the father of two small children who was on his way to the airport with some people from different parts of the country was recounting …
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Out of his Own Mouth
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Out of his Own Mouth
by SPCK - N T Wright
Out of His Own Mouth Acts 22.12-22 In British football, the ‘manager’, or head coach, is often the most important character in the whole unit. Players come and players go, but if the manager is good he can make things happen, win tournaments, put on excellent performances no matt…
Psalms for Everyone - How to Dwell with God
Psalms for Everyone - How to Dwell with God
by SPCK - John Goldingay
How to Dwell with God Psalms for Everyone Part 1 Psalms 1-72 Psalm 15 A composition. David’s. 1 Yahweh, who may stay in your tent, who may dwell on your holy mountain? 2 The person who walks with integrity, and acts with faithfulness, and speaks the truth in his heart. 3 He has n…
Michal's Story
Michal's Story
by Rev. Margaret Roe
King Saul’s daughter, Michal, tells of her stormy marriage to David David’s Wives Two I Samuel 18:17-29 2 Samuel 3:12-16 2 Samuel 6:12-23 Michal’s Story When David first came to my father’s court I knew I loved him. He was in favour then. I was jealous when my older sister was pr…
Two mothers of Bethlehem
Two mothers of Bethlehem
by Kit Walkham
A short but powerful drama or shared reading for 2 women. Aims to link Christmas and Easter. Stories for children help prepare them for the realities of life. So bereaved mothers from 1st century and 21st century Bethlehem challenge Mary as to what stories she told Jesus. Writte…
Twelve Months of Sundays Year B - Proper 4 Year B
Twelve Months of Sundays Year B - Proper 4 Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Proper 4 1 Samuel 3.1-10 2 Corinthians 4.5-12 Mark 2.23-3.6 Like a cathedral chorister, Samuel has been brought to live and work in the atmosphere of prayer, worship and pilgrimage. Considering the lively human interest, it’s surprising this story didn’t entice the great classi…
LWPT Meditations - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
LWPT Meditations - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
by Susan Thorne
Meditation – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Nehemiah 8 v 1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 Luke 4 v 14-21 God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) if we allow it to work in our lives. For those of us whose Bible-reading has become a duty rather than a joy, for those who “tun…
Lectionary Reflection Year C - Proper 6 Year C
Lectionary Reflection Year C - Proper 6 Year C
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Proper 6 2 Samuel 11.26—12.10, 13–15 Galatians 2.15–21 Luke 7.36—8.3 Nathan the prophet is a good story-teller and a brave man. Though he obviously knows the character of his king well enough to guess David’s reaction to his story, yet this is, after all, the king he is talking t…
1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone - Wise Advice Treated as Folly
1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone - Wise Advice Treated as Folly
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Wise Advice Treated as Folly 2 Samuel 17: 1- 19: 40 In the 1990s there was a political crisis in the state of Israel over King David’s good name. The Foreign Minister had been accused of slandering David in a parliamentary debate, and his words prompted three motions of no confid…
Great God, Our Fortress And Our Tower
Great God, Our Fortress And Our Tower
by Norman J Goreham (1931-2021)
This hymn contains allusions to the experiences of Martin Luther and would be appropriate for a celebration of his life or to acknowledge church reformers in general. It would also be appropriate on occasions of renewal of faith or for general use.
Imagining the Lectionary: God's grace is always more than enough (Proper 20A/Ordinary 25A)
Imagining the Lectionary: God's grace is always more than enough (Proper 20A/Ordinary 25A)
by David Perry
Imagining the Lectionary: God's grace is always more than enough (Proper 20A/Ordinary 25A) Reflection accompanying images “You shall see the glory of the Lord”, “Gods grace is always more than enough” and “No strings attached” The people are grumbling, complaining and turning inw…
Meditation: Immersive God
Meditation: Immersive God
by Jane Bingham
A short meditation on that God is about Immersive God Air that we breathe - God Water we drink - God Light that we see - God Love that we feel - God Ideas and thoughts we contemplate - God People we meet - God Choices we make - God Life that we live - God All we are and all that …
Lectionary Reflections Year A - The Fifth Sunday of Easter Year A
Lectionary Reflections Year A - The Fifth Sunday of Easter Year A
by SPCK - Jane Williams
The Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year A Acts 7.55–60 1 Peter 2.2–10 John 14.1–14 What are we Christians supposed to feel about the world we live in? All three of today’s readings suggest that, at the very least, the world is not our home. Stephen dies as though death is irrelevant, w…
Lent for Everyone Year A - Thursday after Ash Wednesday Year A
Lent for Everyone Year A - Thursday after Ash Wednesday Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
HURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Matthew 3; focused on 3.1–12 1 When a couple get married, there is so much to learn. Not so much the immediate and obvious things – favourite foods, musical tastes, good ideas for holidays, and so on. There are deeper things that make each one of us m…
Fresh Thoughts for Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 78 23/08/15
Fresh Thoughts for Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 78 23/08/15
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A selection of commentary, reflection and prayer ideas from various Christian authors and the full bible texts from the NRSV for this week's lectionary. NOW INCLUDING SERIALISED BOOKS FROM SPCK AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BRF. Check below for details. Subscribe to Fresh Thoughts For S…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Third Isaiah
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Third Isaiah
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Third Isaiah The last eleven chapters, set in Jerusalem after the return from exile, further Zion’s story while developing a variety of themes from previous chapters. Not only does personified Zion continue, but other themes of interest, such as inclusion and justice, both human …
Parallel Lives of Jesus - 4d The Characterization of the disciples
Parallel Lives of Jesus - 4d The Characterization of the disciples
by SPCK - Edward Adams
The Characterization of the disciples Matthew’s portrayal of the disciples is more complimentary than Mark’s.23 Where Mark says that the disciples do not understand Jesus’ words (Mark 4:13; 6:52; 8:21; 9:10), Matthew either has no reference to their lack of understanding or state…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (45) BITTER SWEET
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (45) BITTER SWEET
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(45)BITTER AND SWEET Like the prayer with sand and water, this form of prayer invites us to identify with one or other (or both) of the bitter or sweet experiences life brings us. The use of the sense of taste is a vivid reinforcement of the experience and adds vibrancy to our pr…
Sermon on the Mount Trio
Sermon on the Mount Trio
by David Coleman
A trio of spot clips, 1 min in total: Salt of the Earth Light from under a bushel and City on a hill (cannot be hidden). - For a single clip of just City on a Hill - Click Here These things are conveyed with a creative literalism whose intent is that the images should not be mere…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Finding Yourself in Your Family Story
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Finding Yourself in Your Family Story
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Finding Yourself in Your Family Story NUMBERS 1: 1-2: 34 My son Mark just came across a photo from exactly twelve years ago. My wife, Ann, and my mother are sitting at a picnic table; I am lying on the grass (“typically,” Mark said; I am not sure what to make of that). Somewhere …
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - How to Get Taken In
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - How to Get Taken In
by SPCK - John Goldingay
How to Get Taken In JOSHUA 9: 1-21 I have known people who seem to consult God about every detail of their lives, from what to have for dinner to what courses to take next quarter, what college to attend, where to buy a house, or whom to marry. To be honest, I consulted God about…
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - I Trace the Rainbow through the Rain
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - I Trace the Rainbow through the Rain
by SPCK - John Goldingay
I Trace the Rainbow through the Rain Genesis 9: 14- 25 Nineteenth-century Scottish theologian and pastor George Matheson lost his sight when he was a student. That led his fiancée to break off their engagement because she could not face life with a blind man. He never married; hi…
1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone - I Would Rather Fall into God's Hands than into Human Hands
1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone - I Would Rather Fall into God's Hands than into Human Hands
by SPCK - John Goldingay
I Would Rather Fall into God’s Hands than into Human Hands 2 Samuel 24: 1- 16a By a nice coincidence, it’s census month in the United States. Many an advertisement is urging us to make sure we fill in forms; even the announcements in church repeat the exhortation, and the governm…
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - Just One River to Cross
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - Just One River to Cross
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Just One River to Cross JOSHUA 1: 1-18 As I write, I listen to CDs, or rather I half-listen. I do not pay too much attention to the words, though sometimes they catch me out. One day the title phrase of Jimmy Cliff ’s “Many Rivers to Cross” caught my attention, and I listened mor…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - On Dying outside the Promised Land
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - On Dying outside the Promised Land
by SPCK - John Goldingay
On Dying outside the Promised Land Deuteronomy 32: 48- 34: 12 I just read the obituary of a fine trumpet player and singer and even lovelier flugelhorn player, Stacy Rowles, who died after a car accident. My personal memory is of the way she once came to give a CD to my wife, Ann…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - On Election
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - On Election
by SPCK - John Goldingay
On Election Deuteronomy 7: 7-15 In a newsy e-mail, a former student included the following information (I have disguised the material, of course, as usual): “I have developed an embarrassingly silly crush on the postdoctoral fellow who teaches some of the Semitic languages here. …
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - On Not Following Your Instincts
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - On Not Following Your Instincts
by SPCK - John Goldingay
On Not Following Your Instincts Deuteronomy 12: 1- 32 Tomorrow morning I shall go to seminary chapel. Except that it isn’t a chapel. It’s an auditorium. On other occasions, I have lectured there, sung the blues in a concert there, listened to jazz concerts there, and taken part i…
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - Living as Women in a Man's World
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - Living as Women in a Man's World
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Living as Women in a Man’s World JOSHUA 15:1- 17:11 I was talking to a student who was disillusioned with her denomination because of its attitude toward women’s ministry. Women had played a key ministerial role in the movement that issued in the denomination, but the denominatio…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Listen, Israel
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Listen, Israel
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Listen, Israel Deuteronomy 6: 1-25 Many people in the West in the twenty-first century find it hard to believe there is one truth or one God; they find it easier to believe that there are lots of versions of the truth or angles on the truth. We all then choose a “truth” that make…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Not with Our Parents
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - Not with Our Parents
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Not with Our Parents Deuteronomy 5: 1-15 This week I read an e-mail from a student now doing graduate work elsewhere: “I quit my job on Monday as I was averaging four hours of sleep a night and came down with two colds in the first two weeks of school. Best decision of the year.”…
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - Stuff Happens
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - Stuff Happens
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Stuff Happens Genesis 12: 6b-10 Three or four years ago, a friend of mine got a job as a youth pastor on the East Coast. It meant his wife had to give up her job in California, but she had originally come from the East Coast, and she was entirely happy to make the move. They foun…
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - The Attraction of Images
Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone - The Attraction of Images
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Attraction of Images Deuteronomy 4: 1-49 Two or three weeks ago I went for a few days holiday and drove from Los Angeles up the coastal highway to Monterey. I had always heard it was a beautiful drive, and it is. The second night I stopped at a motel and noticed as I checked …
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Choice
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Choice
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Choice RUTH 1:10-19a When my wife’s multiple sclerosis was first diagnosed, I wrote to tell her pastor, who had also been a mentor of mine. I remember reading his reply. He told us how that morning he happened to have been studying the story of Jesus’ making the water into wi…
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Country That Remains to Be Possessed is Very Great
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Country That Remains to Be Possessed is Very Great
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Country That Remains to Be Possessed Is Very Great JOSHUA 13:1- 14:15 At my wife’s memorial service in England this past summer, I saw one of my cousins whom I had not seen for over a decade, and this week I had a Christmas card from her. She wrote, “Various members of the fa…
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - The Nations
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - The Nations
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Nations Genesis 9: 26- 10: 20 There is a movie called Antonia’s Line set in a village in the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War. A garrison of Nazi troops is stationed in the village; the village’s own men are all missing, fighting in the Allied Armies or working …
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Peril of Other People's Faiths
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Peril of Other People's Faiths
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Peril of Other People’s Faiths JOSHUA 23:1- 16 In the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. State Department financed visits to universities and seminaries in the United States by Muslim scholars from abroad as part of efforts to foster mutual understanding between “the Muslim World” a…
1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone - The Struggle for Power
1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone - The Struggle for Power
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Struggle for Power 2 Samuel 3: 1- 4: 12 One of my colleagues holds a Bible study at his house for men he got to know through an organization that seeks to provide accommodation for homeless people in our city; they are typically people who have prison records and/or who have …
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Story Reaches Its Lowest Point (II)
Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone - The Story Reaches Its Lowest Point (II)
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Story Reaches Its Lowest Point (II) JUDGES 20:1-48 For some years now there has been ongoing tension between Russia and Georgia. Sometimes it seems open to being characterized as a little comical; Russia banned the import of Georgian wine on the grounds that it did not meet p…
1 and 2 Kings for Everyone - The Ultimate Sacrifice
1 and 2 Kings for Everyone - The Ultimate Sacrifice
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Ultimate Sacrifice 2 Kings 3:4-27 The writer of a letter in today’s newspaper, in the aftermath of the U.S. president’s firing of his top commander in Afghanistan, asks whether “we must continue to sacrifice our brave men and women” there. By the time you read this, we will p…
1 and 2 Kings for Everyone - There are Times When You Have to Choose
1 and 2 Kings for Everyone - There are Times When You Have to Choose
by SPCK - John Goldingay
There Are Times When You Have to Choose 1 Kings 18:19-46 The soccer World Cup is about to start in South Africa, and I have just had a letter about it from a friend in Lebanon. Lebanon doesn’t have a team playing in the World Cup, so people in that country choose a foreign team t…
1 and 2 Kings for Everyone - Two Mothers, One Baby