Lectionary 18/10/2020
- Proper 24 /Ordinary 29 - Year A
Lectionary Readings
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Let us thank God
Let us thank God
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: Let us thank God Let us thank God for those who led us to our own faith by their words, prayers and example. Let us thank God for the faith of those people who have supported and encouraged us when life has not been easy. Let us thank God for those who were ready to help …
Gazing on the Gospels Year A - Proper 24 Year A
Gazing on the Gospels Year A - Proper 24 Year A
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
Proper 24 - Year A Meditation on Matthew 22: 15-22 Gaze on the threatening circle tightening around Jesus that we see in these passages. Jesus has walked into the lion’s den and is challenging the Pharisees and the Temple authorities face to face. Here we are entering the longest…
Twelve Months of Sundays Year A - Proper 24 Year A
Twelve Months of Sundays Year A - Proper 24 Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
Ordinary Time - Proper 24 Exodus 33.12–23 1 Thessalonians 1.1–10 Matthew 22.15–22 The multiple echoes of Exodus 33 bounce around the New Testament. The first letter to the Thessalonians, held by many to be the first surviving Christian writing, offers another reminder that the go…
Lectionary Reflections Year A - Proper 24 Year A
Lectionary Reflections Year A - Proper 24 Year A
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Lectionary reflections - Year A Ordinary Time Proper 24 Isaiah 45.1–7 1 Thessalonians 1.1–10 Matthew 22.15–22 The question as weapon is one of the oldest techniques in controversy. You will hear it used to perfection most mornings on the radio. The art is to find the question to …
Such a scandal, Cyrus chosen
Such a scandal, Cyrus chosen
by Andrew Pratt
Hymn: Such a scandal, Cyrus chosen Proper 24 year A Isaiah 45: 1 – 7 Such a scandal, Cyrus chosen, could he set God's people free? God's anointed they would call him; source of grace and liberty? Who would choose the chief oppressor, tyrant who'd repress and kill, giving him the …
When the glory of the presence
When the glory of the presence
by Andrew Pratt
Poem: When the glory of the presence Proper 24 year A Exodus 33: 12 – 23 When the glory of the presence of the ground of all our being leaves transcendent worth and wonder, enters in the realm of seeing, are we blinded by the dazzle? Is this presence binding? Freeing? How do we d…
Confounded
Confounded
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Confounded Proper 24 year A Matthew 22: 15-22 All he needed was a coin to confound their connivance. Pharisees would not show their faces, so sent their disciples to distract him and the Herodians to harrass him. But malice and menace was their motive and entrapment was the…
Poem:Sing a new song
Poem:Sing a new song
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Sing a new song (This piece should be spoken with a lilting rhythm and could be done by one person with a change of tone for each of the two speakers. But it has been marked to be read by two people, following the same rhythmic pattern. Will need rehearsal!) A. Sing a new s…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - A Year in Corinth
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - A Year in Corinth
by SPCK - N T Wright
A Year in Corinth Acts 18.1-11 This morning, knowing I was going to be thinking about Corinth, I helped myself to a big bowl of Greek yoghurt and honey for breakfast. It still takes me straight back to the little streetside cafe where, in the early 1990s, I first tasted that simp…
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - The Gospel Comes to Thessalonica
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - The Gospel Comes to Thessalonica
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Gospel Comes to Thessalonica Thessalonians 1.1-5 I hesitated long over the decision. I had to make up my mind whether to admit to the university a student whose grades were not quite as high as we would normally require. She was clearly intelligent, and capable of hard work, …
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - The Thessalonians' Faith
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - The Thessalonians' Faith
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Thessalonians’ Faith Thessalonians 1.6-10 ‘Well,’ I said last week when my son came home from a movie, ‘did you enjoy it?’ I knew the answer as I asked the question. The movie was OK, but not that great. If he’d really enjoyed it, I wouldn’t have had to ask. He would have com…
Matthew for Everyone Part 2 - Paying Taxes to Caesar
Matthew for Everyone Part 2 - Paying Taxes to Caesar
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paying Taxes to Caesar Matthew 22.15-22 It was election time. The politicians were out campaigning. The journalists were everywhere, interviewing people, taking photographs, setting up debates. Radio and television seemed full of it all. But this time round everyone seemed jumpy.…
LWPT Meditations - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
LWPT Meditations - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
by Susan Thorne
Meditation – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr A Exodus 33: 12-23 Thessalonians 1: 1-10 Matthew 22: 15-22 In the first Narnia story by CS Lewis – “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” – one of the children asks if Aslan (the lion who allegorically represents Jesus) is “safe”. “Of …
Exodus and Leviticus - Rock of Ages Cleft For Me
Exodus and Leviticus - Rock of Ages Cleft For Me
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Rock of Ages Cleft for Me EXODUS 33: 12-23 In the County of Somerset in the West of England there is a canyon called Cheddar Gorge (yes, where the cheese comes from). One day in 1763 a young minister was caught in a tumultuous thunderstorm in the cliffs nearby. The minister, Augu…
With My WholeHeart - Psalm 119:34, 36
With My WholeHeart - Psalm 119:34, 36
by SPCK - James Jones
Psalm 119:34, 36 Like the eye, the heart can wander. Sometimes it seems as if the eye has the heart on a lead! Like pushing a child on a tricycle and constantly needing to reset the direction with the handlebars, so the heart needs steering. We have to set the heart’s direction w…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Yes, Yahweh Has Begun to Reign
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - Yes, Yahweh Has Begun to Reign
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Yes, Yahweh Has Begun to Reign Psalm 96 Today’s news includes a report about forces in Yemen firing on people protesting the government and killing some of them. In Afghanistan, U.S. and Afghan soldiers have faced sharply increased attacks by insurgents from their base in Pakista…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - On Sacred Space, Sacred Acts, and Sacred Sound
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - On Sacred Space, Sacred Acts, and Sacred Sound
by SPCK - John Goldingay
On Sacred Space, Sacred Acts, and Sacred Sound Psalm 99-100 Yesterday I received what initially seemed a puzzling invitation to a weekly, early-morning prayer meeting, described as “sacred space for a variety of prayer traditions.” It seemed puzzling because I always thought of s…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Conflict between the Teacher and Israel
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Conflict between the Teacher and Israel
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Conflict between the Teacher and Israel Matthew 8—23 The intrusion of substantial non-narrative material in these sermons inhibits the movement of the plot. This mixture of Jesus’ ministry and his teaching produces a more measured air; instead of the breathless dash of Mark’s bou…
the greatest prayer - Prologue The Strangest Prayer
the greatest prayer - Prologue The Strangest Prayer
by SPCK - John Dominic Crossan
PROLOGUE The Strangest Prayer The Lord’s Prayer is Christianity’s greatest prayer. It is also Christianity’s strangest prayer. It is prayed by all Christians, but it never mentions Christ. It is prayed in all churches, but it never mentions church. It is prayed on all Sundays, bu…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath (Exodus 31: 18-34: 35) For forty days and forty nights Moses is on Mount Sinai, where he receives instructions from YHWH (24:18). The text does not specify how much time has elapsed, but during this time, the people approach Aaron and ask him to …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book IV
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book IV
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book IV (Psalm 90-106) Book IV opens with “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” It is the only psalm in the Hebrew Psalter ascribed to Moses. Its words are a plea to God for mercy: “Turn [shub], O YHWH! How long? Change your mind [nakham] concerning your servants” (90:13, my trans…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Grace to You and Peace in God and Christ
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Grace to You and Peace in God and Christ
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Grace to You and Peace in God and Christ (1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10) Paul’s usual claim of apostolic authority (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1) and his less acclaimed self-designation “slave of Christ” (Phil. 1:1; Rom. 1:1) are absent from his introduction. Instead, Paul simply n…
How shall we Worship
How shall we Worship
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
A composition image created by Twelvebaskets Ltd Original 'Sunset' by Doug Burke Original 'Freezing winter fog' by David Perry Image layering, blending and text by Twelvebaskets Ltd For details of composition images and accreditation see our Terms & Conditions
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Second Isaiah
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Second Isaiah
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Second Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55) The sixteen chapters that begin with “Comfort, comfort my people” comprise a complex but thematically continuous piece focusing on Jerusalem’s restoration as the Babylonian era ended. The prophet is self-effacing and barely visible, but certain aspect…
Isaiah for everyone - God the Creator of Evil
Isaiah for everyone - God the Creator of Evil
by SPCK - John Goldingay
God the Creator of Evil My wife used to lead a women’s Bible Study where some women who came for a while would commonly give the existence of evil as their reason or excuse for not believing in God and not staying. Her comment is that the existence of evil surely makes it more im…
glimpses of glory - Christmas Day - Year C
glimpses of glory - Christmas Day - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
Christmas Day Almighty Father, we rejoice in the coming of Christ our Lord. We pray that, as he has taken on our humanity, through your grace and goodness we may share in your divinity, and so partake in the radiance of your glory; through him who came down for us and is alive an…
glimpses of glory - The Sunday Next Before Lent - Year C
glimpses of glory - The Sunday Next Before Lent - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
The Sunday Next Before Lent Almighty Father God of grace and goodness, awaken us to your glory, that our lives may reflect your radiance, that we may share in your likeness, and in walking in the way of Christ our Lord may reveal your love to the world; through the same Christ ou…
52 Reflections on Faith - Transfiguration: shining with God’s love
52 Reflections on Faith - Transfiguration: shining with God’s love
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Transfiguration: shining with God’s love Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the whole world were to shine with the love of God? That sounds idealistic, doesn’t it? If anyone actually said that, you might wonder whether they had read the newspapers lately or were at all aware of what was…
The Act of Prayer Year C - Sunday Next Before Lent - Year C
The Act of Prayer Year C - Sunday Next Before Lent - Year C
by BRF - John Birch
Sunday Next before Lent Year C The Act of Prayer Praying through the lectionary EXODUS 34:29–35; PSALM 99; 2 CORINTHIANS 3:12—4:2; LUKE 9:28–36 [37–43] Opening prayer We meet today, Lord God, not as in the days of Moses when a physical barrier, the veil, separated the people from…
glimpses of glory - Proper 4 - Year C
glimpses of glory - Proper 4 - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
Proper 4 Lord of majesty and splendor, the King of all creation, from you comes all wholeness, peace and well-being. We come with our needs and in our brokenness, seeking your help and knowing that you alone can make us whole. Come, Lord, and renew us; through Jesus Christ our Lo…
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 190
Fresh Thoughts For Sunday - Fresh Thoughts For Sunday Issue 190
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…
Lent for Everyone Year A - Monday: Week 5 in Lent Year A
Lent for Everyone Year A - Monday: Week 5 in Lent Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
WEEK 5: MONDAY Matthew 24; focused on 24.15 –28 Browsing in an old library the other day, I came upon a book of cartoons from the late nineteenth century. They were political satires, commenting on the affairs of state of the time. Several different politicians were lampooned; al…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy
by SPCK - N T Wright
3. Athene and Her Owl: the Wisdom of the Greeks Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy Before we do that, one final task remains. Granted that Paul grew up in the world of strict Pharisaic Judaism, what response might we expect him to have to the world of pagan philosophy? It would…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Praxis and Symbol: Torag and Temple
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Praxis and Symbol: Torag and Temple
by SPCK - N T Wright
Chapter TWO LIKE BIRDS HOVERING OVERHEAD: THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL 3. Praxis and Symbol: Torah and Temple In worldview terms, ancient Jewish praxis and symbol ran closely together, precisely because the symbols were what they were. I was going to write that the Torah…
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - The Story Retold: Bible
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - The Story Retold: Bible
by SPCK - N T Wright
Chapter TWO LIKE BIRDS HOVERING OVERHEAD: THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL (ii) The Continuous Story (b) The Story Retold: Bible The long tradition of retelling the story of Israel, not only on the large scale (as in the Pentateuch itself, the books from Joshua through to 2 …
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - The Theology of a Pharisee
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - The Theology of a Pharisee
by SPCK - N T Wright
Chapter TWO LIKE BIRDS HOVERING OVERHEAD: THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL The Theology of a Pharisee It is not difficult to draw out from what has already been said the main lines of Pharisaic theology, bringing into brief and I hope sharp focus the larger and longer treatm…
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem
Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
Judas Offers to Betray Jesus
Judas Offers to Betray Jesus
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
Some Greeks Come Looking for Jesus
Some Greeks Come Looking for Jesus
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Destruction of the Temple
The Destruction of the Temple
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The End of The World
The End of The World
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Evil Tenants
The Evil Tenants
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The False Witnesses - The Plot to Kill Jesus
The False Witnesses - The Plot to Kill Jesus
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Fig Tree Withered
The Fig Tree Withered
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Great Banquet (2)
The Great Banquet (2)
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Greatest Commandment
The Greatest Commandment
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Talents
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Parable of the Two Sons
The Parable of the Two Sons
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Pharisees Question Jesus's Authority
The Pharisees Question Jesus's Authority
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Poor Widow's Expensive Offering
The Poor Widow's Expensive Offering
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Question about Paying Taxes
The Question about Paying Taxes
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Sheep and the Goats
The Sheep and the Goats
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
The Triumphant Entry
The Triumphant Entry
by Dave Hopwood
Triumph, Tears and Talents Bible Ref: Matthew 21-26; Mark 11-14; Luke 19-22; John 11&12 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 re…
Vine Video - Spoken Word by Becki Stennett - Sunday 18th October
Vine Video - Spoken Word by Becki Stennett - Sunday 18th October
by Twelvebaskets Ltd
The Vine Video 18th October 2020 Spoken Word by Becki Stennett - (extra)ordinary Video is just over 4 minutes - the first 30 seconds are available as a preview. Click 'download' to view the whole video. Revd Becki Stennett, a presbyter in the Leeds (North and East) Methodist Circ…
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Prayer: God of the church
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer: God of the church God of the church, you call us to be your body in the world and we are sorry that so often we forget what that means. Without a physical body, your Spirit is still alive in the world, but spiritual comfort and help is not all that hurting people need. Th…
Drama: What do we learn from the Psalms?
Drama: What do we learn from the Psalms?
by Marjorie Dobson
Drama: What do we learn from the Psalms? Two people are ready to read the Bible – one at a lectern or desk, one in the pulpit, if possible. The text is written for A being a woman and B being the preacher, but could easily be adapted. However, the last line does indicate that B w…
Reflection/Drama: Psalm 72 for today
Reflection/Drama: Psalm 72 for today
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection/drama: Psalm 72 for today (can be read by several voices, but will work best with at least two) ‘He will judge in righteousness. He will defend the afflicted. He will save the children of the needy. He will crush the oppressor. He will be like showers watering the eart…
Poem/meditation: Offering sacrifice
Poem/meditation: Offering sacrifice
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/meditation: Offering sacrifice We do not offer sacrificial animals on a stone altar. We look on such things as being primitive and of historical interest only. We do not spill blood in order to appease our God, even though blood was spilt for our sakes as the cross of Jesus …
Poem: From Heaven …?
Poem: From Heaven …?
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: From Heaven …? Typical dispute. Focussed on the specific. Missing the main point altogether. The debate was not about the symbolism of living bread – spiritual food for ever – but on the claim that Jesus came down from heaven. Continues... ©Marjorie Dobson
At this time of New Year
At this time of New Year
by Marjorie Dobson
At this time of New Year, when we wish happiness to everyone we meet, the Psalmist helps us to focus our minds on those who are in real need. We think of those whose New Year is not a time for celebration. We think of those who have not been able to afford to buy lavish gifts for…
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Proper 2 Year B
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Proper 2 Year B
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Proper 2 2 Kings 5.1–14 1 Corinthians 9.24–27 Mark 1.40–45 Mark’s Gospel is almost certainly the oldest of the four Gospels. Matthew and Luke seem to know it and depend upon it for some of their information, though they do also have independent sources of their own. It is possibl…
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - Proper 1 Year B
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - Proper 1 Year B
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
Proper 1 Mark 1.29-39 Contemplate a solitary place where you can best pray. Where would you choose? Perhaps the sea shore, where you can hear God speak in the roar of the waves; or a wood where you hear him whisper in the rustle of the leaves; a garden, where you see his hope i…
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - Proper 2 Year B
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - Proper 2 Year B
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
Proper 2 Mark 1.40-45 Gaze on this man, whom we know nothing about, except that he is a leper. We don’t know whether he’s old or young, rich or poor. Once someone was labelled ‘leper’, that was all that was important, and their individual identity was lost. His body and limbs a…
How can we look, and not be moved
How can we look, and not be moved
by Andrew Pratt
1 How can we look, and not be moved by lives that end and eyes that plead, where parents cry while families part amid their last despairing need. 2 Once we were distanced from the ones that suffered while we stood to stare. God give the gift of empathy that we might offer more 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…
Hymn: Strength will come when least expected
Hymn: Strength will come when least expected
by Andrew Pratt
Strength will come when least expected, in the time of greatest need, in the homes of humble people, God will sow a gracious seed. In a town, once disregarded, hope was coming to the earth, here in Bethlehem, this hamlet, Love would come by human birth. Verses 3-4 follow Tune: AL…
Hymn: There was no respite from the crowds
Hymn: There was no respite from the crowds
by Andrew Pratt
There was no respite from the crowds, no place of calm retreat, no place of rest or solitude where he and friends could meet. They sought the healing of his hands, the calm within his voice, his challenge or his empathy gave reason to rejoice. Verses 3-4 follow Tune: ABRIDGE; BEL…
Hymn: What does it mean to love our God
Hymn: What does it mean to love our God
by Andrew Pratt
What does it mean to love our God,to see the Christ in those around, to seek God's heaven on this earth, while all around is shaking ground? How can we face the present time of chaos that we meet and find, while Jesus says we need to love with all our soul, our strength and mind?…
O God you give us all we need
O God you give us all we need
by Andrew Pratt
Hymn: O God you give us all we need Second Sunday of Easter Psalm 16; John 20: 19 – 31 O God you give us all we need, our future is within your grace, though death has spun our lives around you bring us hope, you show your face. You are our refuge, shelter, strength, the ground o…
Our wisdom is shown in our lives, in their living
Our wisdom is shown in our lives, in their living
by Andrew Pratt
Our wisdom is shown in our lives, in their living, in actions of loving and moments of grace. Belief has a meaning when faith between people enhances each neighbour, shows love has a face. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: STREETS OF LAREDO; ST CATHERINE’S COURT Metre: 12.11.12.11 Andrew…
Hymn: He stood with scarred and open hands
Hymn: He stood with scarred and open hands
by Andrew Pratt
He stood with scarred and open hands, their bloodied, but now risen, Lord, incomprehension met his words, their fear had tightened like a cord. His word of peace rang in their ears, yet they could hardly understand. Bemused, unsettled, disbelief meant that the fear they felt was …
Hymn: Love as we, ourselves, know loving
Hymn: Love as we, ourselves, know loving
by Andrew Pratt
Love as we, ourselves, know loving, in this way we will be blessed; get this right and all will follow: such a very simple test. And this test is in the action, not in claims of faith or creed, but in ways we serve each other, meeting one another's need. Verses 3-5 follow Tune: C…
Hymn: The whirring of wings amid smoke in the temple
Hymn: The whirring of wings amid smoke in the temple
by Andrew Pratt
The whirring of wings amid smoke, in the temple: a man in humility bows before God. The pillars are quaking, the threshold is shaken, he kneels in the place where his forebears have trod. A quest for identity, who will be chosen? The question: the one to be blessed with God's gra…
I have a dream that on a day
I have a dream that on a day
by Andrew Pratt
I have a dream that on a day not very long from now, that war-like weapons will be banned, by grace, God show us how. I have a dream that love will hear another's crying need, that justice will demand we act in spite of race or creed. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: KINGSFOLD Andrew Pr…
In her hungry desperation
In her hungry desperation
by Andrew Pratt
In her hungry desperation, clothed around with loss and grief, one poor widow met a prophet coming to her for relief. Soon together they were sharing meagre rations that she brought, while her son was slowly dying, out of sight, not out of thought. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: BETHANY…
Lent for Everyone Year A - Monday: Week 4 in Lent Year A
Lent for Everyone Year A - Monday: Week 4 in Lent Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
WEEK 4: MONDAY Matthew 19; focused on 19.16 –26 At the time I am writing this, a politician has just received loud and long applause for saying rude words about the very rich, especially people in the banks who pay themselves vast sums of money. Everybody likes to hate the rich.…
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Friday: Week 4 in Lent Year B
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Friday: Week 4 in Lent Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B WEEK 4 FRIDAY... ...One of the best sermons I have heard for a long time was an exposition of this passage. It took the theme of the blind man’s cloak. The cloak, the preacher pointed out, was the man’s security. Shade in summer, warmth in winter, it…
Lectionary Reflections Year A - The Second Sunday Before Lent Year A
Lectionary Reflections Year A - The Second Sunday Before Lent Year A
by SPCK - Jane Williams
The Second Sunday Before Lent - Year A Genesis 1.1–23 Romans 8.18–25 Matthew 6.25–34 Today’s Gospel reading reminds us how important it is not simply to take all passages of Scripture and apply them directly to ourselves, as though they had no original context and no intervening …
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Tuesday: Second Week in Lent Year B
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Tuesday: Second Week in Lent Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B WEEK 2: TUESDAY... ...I watched the bird take off from the field and, rising quickly into the sky, float and soar on the afternoon breeze. It was free, and expressing that freedom with a kind of light-hearted joy. I wondered, reading this story at th…
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Thursday: Second Week in Lent Year B
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Thursday: Second Week in Lent Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B WEEK 2: THURSDAY... ...The true test of a pastor comes not in the set-piece events (big services, regular fellowship groups, the weekly Bible study) but in the unforeseen, unprepared moments. Especially the ones which, frankly, you not only hadn’t pl…
The prophet saw a plumb line simply hanging
The prophet saw a plumb line simply hanging
by Andrew Pratt
The prophet saw a plumb line simply hanging to sign God's love amid the sons of men, then, with the women, everyone is singing that God will never turn away again. Yet Amos blew the whistle on God's people, a prophet in a time of greed and need, self-righteousness as high as any …
See the husks fly through the air
See the husks fly through the air
by Andrew Pratt
See the husks fly through the air, feel the all consuming fire, see the day of God is near, see the flames are licking higher. That's the image John conveys, bringing people to their knees. Is it penitence or fear, stimulates their present pleas? And within this time and place, a…
So many people, flawed and faulted
So many people, flawed and faulted
by Andrew Pratt
So many people, flawed and faulted, had come to Christ in hope of health, to be restored, to be accepted, was worth much more to them than wealth. Yet grace was free, as was forgiveness, God does not trade in things of need, but others said that Christ offended and undermined the…
Eggs and Ashes PPT- 2nd in Lent YrA
Eggs and Ashes PPT- 2nd in Lent YrA
by R Burgess/C Polhill/ A Lindley (Wild Goose Publ)
From the Wild Goose Book, by Ruth Burgess and Chris Polhill an illustrated set of Lent Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent - Year A in the lectionary cycle. Liturgy by Ruth Burgess Gathering God Our rock and shelter WE ARE HERE TO MEET WITH YOU Travelling God Our way and wonde…
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (40) ALL SAINTS (AT ANY TIME)
The Second Intercessions Handbook - (40) ALL SAINTS (AT ANY TIME)
by SPCK - John Pritchard
(40) ALL SAINTS (AT ANY TIME) All Saints Day on 1 November isn’t the only time to celebrate the saints of the Church, large and small, local and universal. But if this is the chosen time there’s an interesting symbiosis between this remembrance and that of Guy Fawkes four days la…
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…
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - WHAT about ELIJAH?
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - WHAT about ELIJAH?
by BRF - Dick France
WHAT about ELIJAH? MARK 9: 9-13 There is something bizarre and yet reassuring in the picture of Jesus walking down the mountain in earnest conversation with Peter, James and John, so soon after they have seen him bathed in dazzling light and talking with men long dead…
John The People's Commentary - Prophet or Messiah?
John The People's Commentary - Prophet or Messiah?
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Prophet or Messiah? As the story unfolds, Jesus has gently led the woman to a greater understanding of who he is, from her initial ignorance (4:9) to calling him ‘sir’ (4:11, 15); as he confronted her with the facts of her life, she began to wonder if he might be greater than Jac…
How God Became King - 4b Prequel and Sequel
How God Became King - 4b Prequel and Sequel
by SPCK - N T Wright
Prequel and Sequel Getting to the Heart of the Gospels In the year 1900, a book was published that changed the imagination of America. Its creator, L.Frank Baum, had stumbled into writing fantasy fiction some years before, mostly to while away time spent on the road as a travelli…
How God Became King - 7b (part 3) God and Caesar in the Gospels
How God Became King - 7b (part 3) God and Caesar in the Gospels
by SPCK - N T Wright
God and Caesar in the Gospels These are vital strands of what John is doing throughout his gospel. When, after the final prayer (chap. 17) and the arrest and the Jewish trial (18.1–27), we find Jesus standing before Pilate (18.28—19.16), we ought to know, because John has set it …
the historical character of Jesus - 4c Jesus in Second Thessalonians
the historical character of Jesus - 4c Jesus in Second Thessalonians
by SPCK - David Allen
Jesus in Second Thessalonians The Jesusology of 2 Thessalonians can be summarized in fairly brief and succinct fashion. Although Jesus is named reasonably frequently throughout the letter, the references almost exclusively relate to the second, rather than the first coming…
Mere Apologetics - 4b Apologetics to the Greeks: Paul’s Athens Sermon (Acts 17)
Mere Apologetics - 4b Apologetics to the Greeks: Paul’s Athens Sermon (Acts 17)
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
Apologetics to the Greeks: Paul’s Athens Sermon (Acts 17) One of the most important audiences envisaged by New Testament writers for proclamation of the gospel is “the Greeks.” In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “Greeks” are set alongside “Jews” as a defining group of con…
Mere Apologetics - 6b Clue 3: Order—The Structure of the Physical World
Mere Apologetics - 6b Clue 3: Order—The Structure of the Physical World
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
Clue 3: Order—The Structure of the Physical World Our instinct to discern order within the world is expressed clearly in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The natural sciences are also based on the idea of the regularity of the universe. Without an ordered cosmos, the s…
Mere Apologetics - 7b Opening the Door to Faith
Mere Apologetics - 7b Opening the Door to Faith
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
Opening the Door to Faith First, this approach is not well-grounded in the Bible. Truth, especially for the Old Testament, primarily designates reliability and trustworthiness. The apologetic issue is that God is a secure base, a place of safety on which to build the life of fait…
Mark The Peoples' Bible Commentary - The Temple to be Destroyed
Mark The Peoples' Bible Commentary - The Temple to be Destroyed
by BRF - Dick France
The Temple to be Destroyed The temple has been the scene of most of Jesus’ activity and teaching since he arrived in Jerusalem. Now he leaves it, never to return, and as he leaves he utters words which must have shocked his disciples profoundly. No wonder that yet again some of t…
The Women's Bible Commentary - Women as the Strongest
The Women's Bible Commentary - Women as the Strongest
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Women as the Strongest The story of the contest has been expanded by the addition of the fourth section about truth (4:33–41). In its original form, the argument about women (4:13–32) would have been the climax and conclusion of the contest about “what one thing is strongest” (3:…
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs for Everyone - Yahweh's Name Is a Refuge
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs for Everyone - Yahweh's Name Is a Refuge
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Yahweh's Name Is a Refuge We recently went for nine days to a country we had not previously visited. For some time beforehand, my wife was apprehensive because she had a sense that demonic spirits were active in this country. Kathleen doesn’t often talk in these terms, and neithe…
Great Christian Thinkers - 30 St. Romanus The Melodist
Great Christian Thinkers - 30 St. Romanus The Melodist
by SPCK - Pope Benedict XVI
St. Romanus The Melodist A little-known figure, Romanus the Melodist, was born in about 490 in Emesa (today Homs), in Syria. Theologian, poet, and composer, he belonged to the great ranks of theologians who transformed theology into poetry. Let us think of his compatriot, St. Eph…
Great Christian Thinkers - 35 John Climacus