Sunday's coming!

Choices When I first sat down and read this week’s lectionary readings, I felt I had a puzzle on my hands. What does God require of us? Deuteronomy speaks of the importance of the commandments from the Lord God – bind them on your hands, wear them on your foreheads, write them on your doorposts. To choose to remember and keep these commandments is to choose blessing and life, whereas to ignore them is to choose to turn away and be cursed. God’s requirements of his people are clear – follow God’s commandments and so walk in fellowship with God. The letter to the Romans is a different kettle of fish. Paul lays down the gospel – it is all about faith, relying on God’s forgiving love and grace and not trying to earn acceptance through our own righteousness. But Paul is clear that what he says does not undermine the law but upholds it. Because Paul doesn’t use our faith in God’s grace as a license to flout the law, but as our reason for wanting to live by it. These two - Deuteronomy and Ro...

So here's the finished sermon - tho I will look over it again tomorrow morning & I don't read the script verbatim - so this is what I will preach from rather than what I will preach (if you see what I mean). Coming soon...ideas for next week's 'Creative Church' service. I'm also preaching at Evensong tomorrow - so lots on the plate!

I often use the Jesuit 'Sacred space' website for my personal reflection. It's at www.sacredspace.ie - I'll try to post a link! Today the gospel reading was the story of Jesus heading for Jerusalem and James & John asking for special places in the kingdom. The reflection of the day comments 'holiness is judged on our closeness to God, not on our rank, our job, our vocation.'. I was reminded of the reading I did last week on Paul's letters to the Corinthians, Hans Fror's amazing book  "You wretched Corinthians" and his use of the term 'super-apostles' to describe those who appeared to do good works but were nasty pieces of work who led the church at Corinth astray. I think this might help with the works/faith debate - but I'll give it some more thought over the next couple of days.

For some time now I've been occasionally looking at RevGalBlogPals - a website for women preachers & their friends to share blogs and thoughts about preaching. To join the ring I have to post an ad on the site...it's very good (I don't have to say that bit!).

This Sunday's readings: Deuteronomy 11: 18-21, 26-28 Romans 1: 16,17, 3: 22b-28 Matthew 7: 21-19 My first thoughts: Matthew has Jesus telling the story of the wise man building on rock & foolish one on sand; Deuteronomy is the 'obey the law & choose life' bit; Romans of course is all about justification by faith. Faith and works, law and love, rock and sand... which to choose? Jesus, before the familiar part about the buildings, says something very puzzling "Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, lord' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father". OK - so special pleading is no good without following Jesus and doing the Father's will. But Jesus says that those who cast out demons in his name, or heal the sick in his name, or perform miracles in his name will not enter the kingdom. What is the will of the father if not to heal, as Jesus did? Or is Jesus warning against trying to pull off the whizz bang stuff wit...

This is my first post. Scary... So I've added a pretty scary picture of me!! The purpose of this blog is to help people think about the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday (and if I ever get really organised, for Sundays to come, too!) I have ventured into 'sort of' print to create a space where the people who lead worship in the Four Churches of Whittlesford (Parish church and URC), Pampisford (PC) and Duxford (United Reformed Church) can exchange thoughts easily - but anyone who stumbles in is welcome to comment.