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Christian Priesthood: an open ended essay ....
Historical context: In ancient Israel, priests acted as mediators between God and his people. They ministered according to God's instruction and they offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people....
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Fingers burnt: the Christian and Social Media
What did we do before Social Media? Surely it wasn’t that long ago when we met face to face or rang each other up – or at a push e-mailed one another.I think I was late in buying in to social media...
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A Meditation for Palm Sunday. Mark 11.1-11
Meditations based on The Last Week by Marcus Borg and Dominic CrossanMark 11.1-11When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples...
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A Meditation for the Monday of Holy Week: The fig tree and the Temple. Mark...
Mark 11.12-2412On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came...
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A Meditation for the Tuesday in Holy Week: Jesus and the coin. Mark 12.13-17
Mark 12:13-17 13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t...
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Teaching Holy Week to 12 year olds
For the past few weeks here at the Knowledge College, we have been looking at Easter Themes with Yr 8. The lack of background knowledge is gobsmacking. "What do you mean Lent? What did he lend?"My...
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A meditation for the Wednesday of Holy Week: The scent of betrayal. Mark 14.1-11
Mark 14.1-11Now after two days was the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him with subtlety, and kill him: 2 for they...
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A Meditation for Maundy Thursday: A secret meal, prayer, betrayal and arrest....
Mark 14-17-72 And when it was evening he came with the twelve. And as they were at table eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They...
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A Meditation for Good Friday: A day of pain and suffering. Mark 15.1-47
Mark 15.1-47As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate...
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A Meditation for Holy Saturday using The Creed
After detailing every day from Palm Sunday through to Good Friday, Mark says nothing at all about the Sabbath then picks up the story on Easter Sunday with the finding of the empty tomb. What about...
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A Meditation for Easter Day: Halelujah! He is risen indeed! Mark 16.1-8
Mark 16.1-8When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when...
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Approaches to mission
When I was at Vicar School, one of our first modules was that of Mission. It was one of the ones I most enjoyed. I am revisiting my understanding of mission and so, with some pleasure, it was to...
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Approaches to Mission Part 2: The Apostolic and Hellenistic Orthodox Paradigms
This post is based on Stephen Spencer's studyguide Christian Mission. It might make more sense if you have already read the previous introductory post.The Apostolic MissionIn the earliest days of...
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Approaches to Mission Part 3: Medieval Catholic and Protestant Reformation...
As before, I am looking at Stephen Spencer’s studyguide Christian Mission. Medieval Catholic MissionAs Constantine took control of the Western Empire he stopped persecution of the church. His family...
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Approaches to Mission 4: Enlightenment Modern Mission and Mission within...
As before, I am looking at Stephen Spencer’s studyguide Christian Mission. Enlightenment Modern MissionThis approach to mission is concerned as much about the physical and mental conditions in which...
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Sunday Sermon: The Great Commission
Matthew 28:16-20(Picture from Simon Smith's wonderful contemporary Easter Story "Raised in Leeds". Click on to enlarge.)Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had...
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Sunday Sermon: Matthew 13.31-33 and 45-52. The thing about parables ....
Matthew 13.31-33 and 45-52 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it...
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Sunday Sermon: Matthew 14.22-33 : Peter walks on water
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray....
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Sunday Sermon Matthew 22:34-46: Jesus, the Pharisees and the existing order
34When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the...
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Sunday Sermon for Christ the King: Matthew 25. 31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from...
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Teaching Religious Studies in English schools
You may have been aware of a flurry of activity in the worlds of education and the media recently as a long awaited curriculum review of Religious Studies has reached its consultation stage. It is...
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Sunday Sermon: Mark 6.14-29. The Death of John the Baptist
14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15But others said,...
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The Feeding of the multitude: John 6.1-21
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went...
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Sunday Sermon: "I Am the bread of life." John 6.35 and 41-51
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am...
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Sunday Sermon: John 6. 56-69 - Stumbling blocks to faith
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread...
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