Sharing some thoughts

  One year, while on holiday, I had the opportunity to stand at the spot where  Martin Luther King Jr.  delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. I’m not going to bore you with holiday stories, but I do want to reflect on that speech this morning  -  and how it connects with our gospel reading from Luke  ( 17:11–19 ) . King’s speech is often remembered for the repeated phrase “I have a dream.” He says it nine times, painting a vision of a better, more equal, more just society. But there’s another phrase he uses just as often: “Let freedom ring.” And I want to suggest that perhaps this speech should be known not as the “I Have a Dream” speech, but the “Let Freedom Ring” speech. Because while dreams speak of the future, freedom speaks of the present. “Let freedom ring” is a call to action, a cry of victory, a declaration that transformation is possible now  -  not just someday. In our gospel reading, we see a story of healing and freedom. Ten le...

There are moments in life when the call to follow Jesus feels overwhelming - times when we’d perhaps rather bury our heads and pretend not to have heard… I don’t think it was any different for the early followers of Jesus.  His words to the disciples in the gospel from Luke (17:5-10) this morning are not gentle suggestions—they are radical commands: forgive endlessly, rebuke sin, welcome the stranger, seek the lost, and live with integrity. It perhaps isn’t any wonder that the disciples cry out, “Increase our faith!” They weren’t asking for a little boost. They were desperate. Jesus had just laid out a vision of discipleship that felt impossible. And maybe you’ve felt that too at times. Maybe you’ve looked at your own life and thought, “I don’t have enough faith to live like that.” But there’s good news if you have thought that as most of us have at times:  Jesus doesn’t say, “You need more.” He says, “You already have enough.” If you have faith the size of a mustard seed—tiny...

  If someone asked you today, “Would you rather be rich or poor?” most of us would instinctively lean towards riches. After all, who wouldn’t want comfort, security, and the freedom that wealth seems to offer? But today’s Gospel reading ( Luke 16:19–31) invites us to look deeper. It’s not a condemnation of wealth itself, but a powerful reminder that true richness is found not in what we possess, but in how we live - with compassion, with awareness, and with a heart open to God and others. Jesus tells a story that’s both sobering and full of grace. It’s a tale of two men - one clothed in luxury, the other clothed in suffering. And yet, it’s the man who seemed to have nothing who is given a name: Lazarus, “the one whom God helps.” That name is no accident. It’s a whisper of hope, a promise that God sees, God knows, and God helps - even when the world turns away. We’re told: “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And ...

  Today in the church calendar, we celebrate St Matthew, the tax collector who became a disciple of Jesus and the author of the Gospel that bears his name. In our reading from Matthew (9:9–13), we heard how Jesus saw him sitting in his tax booth and simply said, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and did just that. It’s an incredible response to a life-altering invitation. He left behind his job, his security, his routine and stepped into the unknown with Jesus. He had no hesitation. There was no negotiation. Just trust. Now, most clergy would love to have that kind of influence. Imagine saying “Follow me” and having everyone joyfully agree - whether it’s about a new style of worship, the layout of the church, or even just encouraging people to love one another more deeply. But we know that’s not how it works. People have opinions, preferences, and sometimes can be resistant to change. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s probably healthy. Clergy aren’t infallible - though we may not always...

  We don’t often hear readings from Paul’s letter to Philemon—and that’s largely because we’ve just heard almost the entire letter this morning. It’s one of the shortest books in the Bible, but it’s packed with meaning and challenge, as well as grace. Paul wrote from house arrest in Rome to Philemon, a wealthy Christian in Colossae. Philemon’s slave, Onesimus, had fled to Rome and there, he encountered Paul and was led to faith in Jesus. Now Paul writes to ask Philemon to receive Onesimus back - not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. And Paul doesn’t just ask - he offers to pay back any debt that Onesimus owes.  There are several themes that rise from this short letter. First, the issue of slavery. It’s troubling to us of course, and rightly so. Though it was accepted in Paul’s time, we know that no one should ever be owned by another. And tragically, slavery still exists today - in forced labour, human trafficking, and exploitation. But the gospel speaks into this. It pr...