Sharing some thoughts

  I think some of the readings that we have for this time of year in the Church calendar are wonderful ! Not wonderful because of their enjoyment value but because of their discomfort value. That may seem a little bit strange but I think all of us at times as Christians need to feel a little uncomfortable.   So often we over-complicate things in our lives, and we can easily reach the point where we’re so good at it that we can justify to ourselves and perhaps even to others that we’re doing all we can to do the right thing, that we’re living a good life…  I attend Church every Sunday and pray every day… I read my Bible regularly… I send money to help charities… I help my neighbour with the shopping… The list can go on and on – we’ve probably all, either consciously or sub consciously thought such things, and there’s no doubt that every one of those things is good to do, and we mustn’t stop.  But the point of discomfort has to be reached as well, as we examine pe...

  The kingdom season in the church calendar, which we’re now in, has never been a favourite of mine – I don’t think it’s a season that is particularly useful as I think our focus must every day of every week be on Christ as the king – the king of our lives, the king of our hopes and aspirations, the king of possibilities for the world and indeed the king of the whole world, so that’s a little hobby horse of mine out of the way!!  Having said that, the readings do offer us a focus upon which to reflect on these things in a bit more depth… Our gospel reading (Matt 25:14-30) is the story known as the parable of the talents – it’s often been portrayed as a parable about how well we use our gifts, in other words it’s about us, but whilst that may be part of it, I don’t think that’s the biggest part.  The biggest part comes in the first paragraph of what we heard. The master is going on a journey and he distributes his property to his servants to look after. To one he gives 5 t...

  On the 11 th  hour of the 11 th  day of the 11 th  month in 1918 the First World War officially ended. There was great rejoicing, and celebrations began, but for many people their lives had been devastated seemingly beyond repair. Eventually in 1921 after many calls for the dead and seriously injured to be remembered the first Armistice day parade was held… Tragically of course the world would once again, in less than 20 years, be plunged into a huge war… Ever since, whilst people have remembered and commemorated Armistice Day, wars and conflict have continued. Today, amidst many smaller conflicts going on in the world, we see the conflicts in Ukraine and in Israel and Gaza highlighted daily in the news…  Back in 2008 I went on a study tour to the Holy Land looking at reconciliation and conflict there – it was a moving time – it highlighted the massive complications of reaching peace there but amidst the tragedy and complications we witnessed, there was a...