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Luke for Everyone - Jesus Grieves Over Jerusalem
Luke for Everyone - Jesus Grieves Over Jerusalem
by SPCK - N T Wright
Jesus Grieves Over Jerusalem Luke 13.31-35 The house I live in was built after the Second World War. It replaced the much older one that stood here before, which was burnt to ashes one night in 1941, after a fire-bomb, dropped by an enemy aircraft, landed right on it. The people …
John for Everyone part 2 - Jesus Enters Jerusalem
John for Everyone part 2 - Jesus Enters Jerusalem
by SPCK - N T Wright
Jesus Enters Jerusalem John 12.9-19 Even now in Western culture most people know what the symbols mean. If someone went into a deep sleep, then woke to see shops full of stockings filled with presents, they would know it was nearly Christmas. If they woke up to see people with ch…
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - I Don't Sweat
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - I Don't Sweat
by SPCK - John Goldingay
I Don’t Sweat Genesis 15: 6b-7 On the day before his inauguration as president, someone asked Barack Obama whether he was sweating. “Nah, I don’t sweat,” he replied. “You ever see me sweat?” Not yet, but it’s early, a news report commented. When I was about to move to the United …
Psalms for Everyone - My God, My God, Why?
Psalms for Everyone - My God, My God, Why?
by SPCK - John Goldingay
My God, My God, Why? Psalm 22: 1-18 Each Palm Sunday as part of our church’s worship we read the story of Jesus’ trial and execution, with members of the congregation taking different parts. There are a number of frightening moments in the story. Particularly sickening is the poi…
Exodus and Leviticus - My People - Your God
Exodus and Leviticus - My People - Your God
by SPCK - John Goldingay
My People – Your God EXODUS 6: 2- 7: 13 I am discussing their wedding with a young couple in my student Bible-study group. The wedding is a lovely thing to be involved in, and not only because it will happen within sight of the beach but because it brings home to me as a Brit one…
Psalms for Everyone - Praise and Thanksgiving as a Key to Prayer-II
Psalms for Everyone - Praise and Thanksgiving as a Key to Prayer-II
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Praise and Thanksgiving as a Key to Prayer-II Psalm 40 As usual we had a time of sharing praise and prayer concerns in church yesterday, and as usual I had more success getting people to share prayer concerns than to share reasons for thanksgiving. As far as I remember the only t…
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Palm Sunday Year B
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - Palm Sunday Year B
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Palm Sunday Isaiah 50.4–9a Philippians 2.5–11 Mark 14.1—15.47 It is as though there are any number of parallel stories in Mark’s account of the trial and death of Jesus. The characters in each story are largely unaware of the others, though they may interact with each other to so…
friends, FOES and families - Brother Head and Brother Heart: Andrew and Peter
friends, FOES and families - Brother Head and Brother Heart: Andrew and Peter
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
Brother Head and Brother Heart: Andrew and Peter John 1.35-42; Acts 2 Jesus our brother, may each in our own way follow you, and each with our best selves serve you. Simon Peter speaks: ‘It’s the oldest meant to look after the youngest, isn’t it? Dad was always saying, “I’m relyi…
Mark for Everyone - Jesus' Baptism
Mark for Everyone - Jesus' Baptism
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 1.9–13 Jesus’ Baptism... ...A famous movie-maker had a huge legal wrangle with his long- time mentor and guide. The younger man simply couldn’t handle criticism, and ended up rejecting the person who had helped him so much. When it was all over, a close fri…
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Prayer and Peace
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Prayer and Peace
by SPCK - N T Wright
Prayer and Peace Ephesians 6.18-24 Imagine an eagle with clipped wings. Imagine a great oceangoing liner stuck in the Sahara sands. Imagine a basketball player with his ankles tied together. Imagine a railway locomotive in a ploughed field. Now imagine an ambassador wearing chain…
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - Sheep among Wolves
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - Sheep among Wolves
by SPCK - N T Wright
Sheep among Wolves Matthew 10.16-23 I went to the fairground with my daughter. We stood in line for over an hour for one of the biggest rides; it looked fun, and everyone was excited and happy to wait for their turn. Finally we boarded the car. Up it went, up and up, higher and h…
John for Everyone Part 1 - Seeing and Not Seeing
John for Everyone Part 1 - Seeing and Not Seeing
by SPCK - N T Wright
Seeing and Not Seeing John 9.35-41 Who decides when the picture is in focus? I attended a lecture the other night in which the speaker showed us some wonderful colour slides of medieval paintings of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The colour was magnificent; the interpretati…
Luke for Everyone - Temptation in the Wilderness
Luke for Everyone - Temptation in the Wilderness
by SPCK - N T Wright
Temptation in the Wilderness Luke 4.1-13 Jesus was not Superman. Many today, including some devout Christians, see him as a kind of Christian version of the movie character, able to do whatever he wanted, to ‘zap’ reality into any shape he liked. In the movies, Superman looks lik…
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - Do Not Be Afraid
Genesis for Everyone Part 1 - Do Not Be Afraid
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Do Not Be Afraid Genesis 15: 1-6a When my mother died, I rode to her funeral with our rector. I say “our rector” though he had arrived at the church only after I was myself ordained, and he reminded me that one of the first services he conducted had been my father’s funeral. Whil…
Psalms for Everyone - God Laughs on His People's Behalf
Psalms for Everyone - God Laughs on His People's Behalf
by SPCK - John Goldingay
God Laughs on His People’s Behalf Psalm 2 We watched Independence Day fireworks last night, and I recalled how people sometimes ask me, “Do you celebrate Independence Day in Britain?” I say, “Yes, of course: parents are glad when their kids grow up and take control of their own l…
Psalms for Everyone - In the Dark of the Canyon
Psalms for Everyone - In the Dark of the Canyon
by SPCK - John Goldingay
In the Dark of the Canyon Psalm 23 In the foothills of the mountains near where we live is a retreat center where we have a faculty gathering each fall. Two years ago a new director at the center gave us some advice we had not been given before. If we met a bear on the grounds, w…
Lectionary Reflection Year C - The Fourth Sunday Before Lent Year C
Lectionary Reflection Year C - The Fourth Sunday Before Lent Year C
by SPCK - Jane Williams
The Fourth Sunday Before Advent Isaiah 1.10–18 2 Thessalonians 1.1–12 Luke 19.1–10 The temptation with today’s three readings is to go straight for the story of Zacchaeus. It’s warm, vivid and has a happy ending. But the other two readings remind us that Zacchaeus’ choice is not …
52 Reflections on Faith - Jesus Christ today