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Journeying with Luke - The Easter Narratives
Journeying with Luke - The Easter Narratives
by SPCK - Woodward, Gooder and Pryce
6 The Easter narratives Exploring the text Without a doubt the story of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus must be one of the best-loved of the resurrection stories. Like so much else in Luke’s Gospel, its themes remind us of some of Luke’s major emphases th…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - A Defence of Hope
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - A Defence of Hope
by SPCK - N T Wright
A Defence of the Hope Acts 24.10-21 I am still fascinated by kaleidoscopes. I love watching the shapes as they move around and form themselves into different patterns. They were quite basic when I was a boy, and now that I’m grown up and not supposed to like toys any more I often…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - A Light to the Gentiles
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - A Light to the Gentiles
by SPCK - N T Wright
A Light to the Gentiles Acts 13.44-52 Everyone who works with words – the poet, the journalist, the philosopher, the translator, the theologian – knows it all too well. We use a word one day and it seems perfectly all right. It does the job. The next day we are told it now means …
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Agrippa and Bernice
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Agrippa and Bernice
by SPCK - N T Wright
Agrippa and Bernice Acts 25.13-27 ‘To see ourselves as others see us.’ That telling line from Burns (actually, he wrote ‘oursels’; but someone would think it was a misprint if I had put that) sums up a good deal of the task of human communication. I am in correspondence, as I spe…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - All at Sea
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - All at Sea
by SPCK - N T Wright
All at SeaActs 27.1-12 In John Fowles’ novel, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, the reader getting near the end receives a shock. There are two endings. You can choose. Would you like the story to finish like this, or like that? What are you saying about yourself, or about the boo…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Apollos in Ephesus and Corinth
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Apollos in Ephesus and Corinth
by SPCK - N T Wright
Apollos in Ephesus and Corinth Acts 18.18-28 These days people will do anything for sponsorship. Recently a Christian leader made well over a million pounds (roughly US$2 million) by running in the London Marathon. I once had a colleague who made a lot of money for his church by …
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - God's Patience
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - God's Patience
by SPCK - N T Wright
God’s Patience 2 Peter 3.11-18 Early Christian Letters for Everyone 11Since everything is going to dissolve in this way, what sort of people should you be? You should live lives that are holy and godly, 12as you look for God’s day to appear, and indeed hurry it on its way – the d…
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…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Opening the door of Faith
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Opening the door of Faith
by SPCK - N T Wright
Opening the Door of Faith Acts 14.21-28 I stood at the back of the exhibition, and chatted with the artist. He was a local man, and we were glad to support him. We had even bought one of his paintings, a marvellous study of a bird in flight. ‘What does it feel like,’ I asked, ‘se…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Storm and the Angel
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Storm and the Angel
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Storm and the Angel Acts 27.13-32 It’s a long time since I’ve been seasick, but the last time I came close to it I was more or less in the same place as Paul in the middle of this storm. I was doing some guest lectures, and taking some services, on a cruise ship (the things c…
New Testament Prayer for Everyone - Wisdom and Gratitude
New Testament Prayer for Everyone - Wisdom and Gratitude
by SPCK - N T Wright
PART 2 PRAYERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PRAYERS OF PAUL WISDOM AND GRATITUDE Colossians 1: 9-14 We watched, holding our breath, as the mother duck left the pond at the head of her brood. There were seven ducklings in all: four black ones and three yellow ones. They were lively and sq…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sexual Immorality and Lawsuits
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sexual Immorality and Lawsuits
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Sexual Immorality and Lawsuits (1 Corinthians 5-6) Paul closes the preceding section by offering the Corinthians a choice: “What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (4:21). Underscoring that choice, the next section opens w…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sex and Spirituality
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Sex and Spirituality
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Sex and Spirituality (1 Corinthians 7: 1-40) Paul begins here to respond to the issues the Corinthians raised in their earlier letter. His obvious concern in this chapter, to present arguments that are balanced in their treatment of women and men, is striking…
Often those abusing others
Often those abusing others
by Andrew Pratt
Often those abusing others never wish to own the truth, our possession of another always renders us uncouth. So the 'owners' of a woman, finding she was cured of pain, saw their source of wealth receding never to return again. Charging Paul with gross disturbance, challenging the…
Hymn: Simultaneous translation
Hymn: Simultaneous translation
by Andrew Pratt
Simultaneous translation, Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, all the world, it seemed, was listening, here the Spirit cheers, unites. Awe and wonder stunned the people, something new had come to birth, now the Holy Spirit, flaming, spread God's grace across the earth. Verse 3 follow…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Felix Calms (and Slows) Things Down
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Felix Calms (and Slows) Things Down
by SPCK - N T Wright
Felix Calms (and Slows) Things DownActs 24.22-27 A friend of mine preached a sermon, as my guest, on radiators and drains. Some people, he said, are radiators, and other people are drains. Some people, that is, naturally give energy and warmth to others. People like having them…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Power of God and the Power of Ephesus
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Power of God and the Power of Ephesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Power of God and the Power of Ephesus Acts 19.11-22 When I was growing up, one of the leading politicians in the British Labour Party was a man named George Brown. He was extremely able, very shrewd. Some thought at one point he might have been a challenger for the job of par…
Lectionary Reflection Year C - Proper 1 Year C