Author Archive | AnglicanChurch
Theme for the Week – Baptism of Christ – 11 January 2015
Scripture for the week (Sunday after Epiphany; Baptism of Christ): Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11 Conducting baptism in a river (or the sea, or the ocean), which I have done but once (so far), can be an awe-inspiring experience, connecting the life-blood of the planet to the spiritual life-blood offered by God […]
‘The Village Voice’ On Prayer
The following was printed in The Village Voice in response to a question about prayer. It’s an interesting point of view. Prayer is a type of thought. It’s a lot like meditation — a type of very concentrated mental focus with passionate emotion directed towards a concept or situation, or the lack thereof. But there’s […]
Theme for the Week – 4 January 2015
Scripture for 4 January, observance of Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-15; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 The visit of the Magi has captured popular imagination for centuries, as a result of which it has enjoyed extrapolation and embellishment. The “three kings” from afar deliver extravagant gifts to a poor, Jewish family living in strange surroundings. Yet […]
The Passing of Time
This is a time to reflect about time and its passage. Time is an arbitrary thing. We mark it by measuring it. In effect we do that age-old thing of taking ownership of something by naming it. Otherwise, it’s a rather arbitrary thing. A day is a natural progression of the earth’s rotation; a year […]
Readings for January 2015
Here are the readings for Sunday and Wednesday worship during the month of January 2015. Readings for January 2014. 4 January – Epiphany Isaiah 60.1–6 Psalm 72. 1–15 Ephesians 3.1–12 Matthew 2.1–12 7 January 1 John 4.11–18 Psalm 72.1, 10–13 Mark 6.45–52 11 January – Epiphany 1 – Baptism of Christ Genesis 1.1–5 Psalm 29 […]
Theme for the Week – 28 December 2014
Scripture readings for this Sunday (Holy Innocents): Jeremiah 31:15–17; Psalm 124; 1 Corinthians 1:26–29; Matthew 2:13-18 Why does the vicar dislike singing Christmas songs during Advent? Well, actually he doesn’t! It all depends upon what the song says. Listening to the words shows that some are songs of anticipation, and really do fit within Advent […]
Christmas Day – a mess!
Christmas is a mess. Well, the story of Christmas is about a mess: messy childbirth, in messy circumstances, with messy people hanging about and visiting. And yet … Perhaps we need to remember that when life is a mess, that is exactly where Jesus came to meet us. In fact, God consistently comes to meet […]
Christmas Eve – the enigma of light
Physics is cool: the physics of light is an enigma, because light can have the properties of both waves and particles, and its behaviour as one or the other is unpredictable. So is the idea of God incarnate an enigma, divine power rendered into a defenceless child. Yet the light this child brings into the […]
Theme for the Week – 21 December 2014
The readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent: 2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16; Magnificat (Luke 1:46b-55); Romans 16:25–27; Luke 1:26–38 “How can this be?” Mary’s words are almost an intrinsic part of the human condition, which through faith we seek to answer. How can it be that an unwed girl accepts potential disgrace and shame – or […]