Category: Ordinary Time

Psalm 51

March 7, 2016

God uses loved, mended, broken people to bring broken people to be mended and loved.

It’s like Eton Mess – crushed fruit, broken meringue, bashed-up cream – yet so good. Our broken-ness, in God, is redeemed. … More Psalm 51

Luke 4:14-21

January 11, 2016

Epiphany 3 – What Jesus had was not just the temporary ‘up’ of having a good day – it was a much bigger, deeper kind of ‘up’. It was the kind of ‘up’ that stays up even when the scaffolding underneath is taken away.

Ignatius of Loyola called this state ‘consolation’. It is the state of knowing that you are walking in step with God and it is not dependent on the circumstances. … More Luke 4:14-21

Two Men Praying – Luke 18:9-14

January 8, 2016

What? What was that? A story? Can I listen too?

Narr: Of course you can. It’s a story that Jesus told, about two man who went to pray, one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Rod: A Who-isee and a What-alector?

Narr: Oh sorry. A Pharisee was someone who was very religious and was very careful to do everything right. The tax collector was a cheat who took more money than he was supposed to. … More Two Men Praying – Luke 18:9-14

John 2:1-11

January 4, 2016

Epiphany 2 – Daring prayer is good. But we do not have to plan God’s solutions for him. However, we also need to make sure we are not just evading specifics with a limp-wristed, wet-lettuce Christianity that can never see answered prayer because it is so vague. … More John 2:1-11

Baptism of Christ – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

December 28, 2015

Epiphany 1 – It’s easy to fake repentance, and even great deeds, as Jesus said in Matt 7. “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’” Ouch! Their faith was not real. It looked great from the outside, but had no inside. So how can we tell what’s real beauty and what’s just good make-up? How can we tell real repentance from following the crowd? How can we tell wheat from chaff? … More Baptism of Christ – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Mark 13:1-8

November 2, 2015

In 1806, a chicken started laying eggs with “Christ is coming” etched into the shell. Now, the burning bush was weird, granted, and you’ve got Balaam’s donkey and all, but why God would want to make a major announcement via a hen’s bum beats me. … More Mark 13:1-8