Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 29th January 2023. Lectionary Readings: Micah 6 v1-8; psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1 v18-31; Matthew 5 v1-12. The sermon on the mount. As we have seen before, Matthew echoes the life of Moses in the way he portrays Jesus. Jesus goes up a mountain and brings God’s…
Many years ago, a lovely man, who would do anything for the Church and was one of the best evangelists I have ever met, but who would have “nothing to do with God and all that stuff” commented one time that if I claimed that there was only one God, why did we need three…
Genesis 1 v 20: “Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” I cause my family many problems as my birthday is on the 1st January and having struggled to think of presents for Christmas they have to think again of something for my birthday. This year one of my presents was…
Waiting at the local railway station this week, my attention was captured by a poster advertising a new film. It read: ‘When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light’. My mind went to one of the opening verses in John’s gospel, ‘The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light…
Today’s reading from 1 John 4:19-21 says, in verse 18, ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.’ Many years ago I was in a conversation with a friend which, at the time, seemed…
This week, our 10 minute service reflects on Isaiah 55:1.
This thought was first published in February 2021 Psalm 119: 97-104 “Oh, how I love your law!” Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.Your commands are always with me, and make me wiser than my enemies.I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.I have more…
Many people grumble that January is a depressing month. The Christmas decorations have been packed away, the tree taken down, the Christmas cake has eventually been finished and the days are still dark and cold. In my family, January sees the start of another round of birthdays and the inevitable question, “what do you want…
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A 22nd January 2023 Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 9 v1-4; Psalm 27 v1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1 v10-18; Matthew 4 v12-23. Pointers. In last week’s lectionary readings, John the Baptist was pointing to Jesus. This week, Paul is pointing away from himself, (or any other apostle) and towards…
There is a quote, often attributed to the pop artist Andy Warhol in the late 1960’s that “in the future everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes” maybe when people first heard this statement, they would have thought that highly unlikely. World Famous is a massive claim and I think that even today, most…