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Reflections on the Bible
Reflections on the Bible
by Colin Smith
This reflection/sermon (1020 words) reminds us of the origin and importance of the Bible to Christians. It relates to St Paul's advice to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, and suggests that it is much more than a historical document and moral guide. Thus, it identifies other important …
Reflection/poem: Questioning the Psalm
Reflection/poem: Questioning the Psalm
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection/poem: Questioning the Psalm If God’s law is so loveable, why do so many people find it impossible to live by it? If God’s law gives the power to defeat the enemy, why do so many people suffer for their beliefs? If God’s law grants superior knowledge, why do so many peo…
Genesis for Everyone Part 2 - When You Need an Expert
Genesis for Everyone Part 2 - When You Need an Expert
by SPCK - John Goldingay
When You Need an Expert Genesis 40:9-41:24 Three months ago, I had a routine medical procedure (I will spare you the clinical details). A few weeks before it was due, I happened to read a report of research on this particular procedure that suggested it might not be as useful as …
Lectio Divina - How the bible has been read
Lectio Divina - How the bible has been read
by SPCK - Enzo Bianchi
How the Bible has been read As we continue to describe an approach to Scripture that can lead us to an encounter with Christ, God’s definitive Word to humanity, it will help to look very briefly at the different ways people have read the Bible over the course of its history…
Mere Apologetics - 4 The Importance of the Audience
Mere Apologetics - 4 The Importance of the Audience
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
The Importance of the Audience We need to ensure the message of the cross is proclaimed as effectively as possible. This means asking what points of contact there are for the gospel. How can we make sure it scratches where folks itch?…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What are the gospels?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What are the gospels?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What are the Gospels? Genre First, we need to ascertain what kind of creature we are about to encounter. If we were to treat a cartoon featuring Churchill as though it were a photograph, we would soon make mistakes in its interpretation. Similarly, one does not listen to a fairy …
Reflection/meditation: Agreement
Reflection/meditation: Agreement
by Marjorie Dobson
Reflection/meditation: Agreement It’s all about personal responsibility, isn’t it? It’s all about not being able to pass the blame back to a past generation, or excuse personal behaviour by claiming that it’s all in the genetic structure. At one time everyone relied totally on Go…
Poem:Quarrelling about words
Poem:Quarrelling about words
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem/meditation/reflection: Quarrelling about words If we believe in God and in what Jesus did and said and how he lived and died and how that same Spirit that was in Jesus is still with us in our world today, then we have the essence of our faith and all the truth that we need t…
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - The Story Retold: Second-Temple Literature
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - The Story Retold: Second-Temple Literature
by SPCK - N T Wright
Chapter TWO LIKE BIRDS HOVERING OVERHEAD: THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL (ii) The Continuous Story (c) The Story Retold: Second-Temple Literature Similar retellings of the story of Israel, from various angles depending on the particular interest, are found across different…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What about the authors?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What about the authors?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What about the authors? Redaction and composition I cannot always read my favourite newspaper at coffee-time in our staff common room, because someone else has bagged it already! Never mind, there are others around, and reading various papers reveals their different styles and vi…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What sorts of material do the gospels contain?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What sorts of material do the gospels contain?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What sorts of material do the gospels contain? Forms David Watson was a very eloquent and talented speaker who would illustrate his addresses with stories, anecdotes and jokes, using the same material also in his books. I remember listening to him and reading his work when I was …
Great Christian Thinkers - 14 St, Gregory of Nyssa
Great Christian Thinkers - 14 St, Gregory of Nyssa
by SPCK - Pope Benedict XVI
St. Gregory of Nyssa Theologian of Life in the Spirit In the last chapters, I spoke of two great fourth-century Doctors of the Church, Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus, a bishop in Cappadocia, in present-day Turkey. Today, we are adding a third, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Basil’s brothe…
Transforming Preaching - The elements of structure
Transforming Preaching - The elements of structure
by SPCK - David Heywood
3 A step-by-step guide to sermon preparation The elements of structure The first stage in sermon preparation is getting the message: knowing what you want to say. The next is deciding how best to say it: giving your sermon a structure. Once you reach the point of discerning the m…
the historical character of Jesus - 3d Indirect references
the historical character of Jesus - 3d Indirect references
by SPCK - David Allen
Indirect references Beyond the direct citation of Jesus material, which does still remain somewhat limited, there are a number of other places in which Paul may be drawing on and reflecting Jesus tradition. These allusions to, or echoes of, Jesus’ teaching are more subjective, an…
Great Christian Thinkers - 21 St. Jerome
Great Christian Thinkers - 21 St. Jerome
by SPCK - Pope Benedict XVI
St. Jerome His Life and Work We now turn our attention to St. Jerome, a Church Father who centred his life on the Bible: he translated it into Latin, commented on it in his works, and above all, strove to live it in practice throughout his long earthly life, despite the well-know…
Lectionary Reflections Year A - Proper 15 Year A
Lectionary Reflections Year A - Proper 15 Year A
by SPCK - Jane Williams
Lectionary reflections - Year A Ordinary Time Proper 15 Isaiah 56.1, 6–8 Romans 11.1–2a, 29–32 Matthew 15.10–28 This strange story of the Canaanite woman clearly scratches an itch for Matthew’s readers. If you put this version and Mark’s version side by side (Mark 7.24–30), you w…
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