Sunday's coming!

Luke 9: 51-62, Galatians 5: 1, 13-25 I daren’t ask whether you were left crying tears of delight or despondency when the result of the referendum was announced on Friday morning. The result itself (52% in favour of leaving the EU in total, but with widely different results from area to area) shows that the citizens of the United Kingdom are anything but united on this point. So what are we to think, as Christians, about the state of our country? What are we to do, as Christians, in response to these new circumstances? What do we believe about our role in any changes that happen in our country? I just use the word ‘citizens’ and you might remember (or you might not!) that the word is used in the statement concerning the nature faith & order of the URC. It’s in the hymn book – at number 761, just before the national anthem. We first have this statement: ‘We believe that Christ gives his church a government distinct from the government of the state. In the things ...

1 Kings 19:1-4, 8-15a ;  Luke 8: 26-39 I wonder how last week felt for each of you? Perhaps you’ve recently had a holiday, or you managed a nice trip out somewhere last week, or someone gave you a nice surprise and you’re feeling happy, loved and relaxed. But I’m guessing perhaps not. My week was stressful, if I’m honest – the changeable weather, a busy diary, a few family worries, and then.. the news. First there was the violence at what is supposed to be a football competition: such hatred of opposing sides, such readiness to turn to violence. Then there was the attack on the gay nightclub, Pulse, in Orlando – which left 50 people dead after a night of atrocity. Most of the victims were in their 20s and 30s and had gone to the club to dance. Finally the completely shocking tragedy that was the murder of Jo Cox, a 41 year old MP who had just been meeting members of the public in her constituency. Right now, this week, the world feels to me like a whi...

Luke 7: 36-50 At the heart of our Gospel story, Jesus has a question for Simon the Pharisee, “Do you see this woman?”. How could Simon not see the woman! Standing behind Jesus, weeping over his feet, and kissing them, wasting expensive perfume.   What Simon sees is a sinner, who should not even have been let into his law-abiding house, and who certainly shouldn’t be touching Jesus. Simon sees someone he thinks is utterly unlike himself, who he wants nothing to do with, who he would like to see leave his home & stop being a bother. Yet Jesus asks “Do you see this woman?” and t he shock is going to come for Simon as he sees this woman as Jesus sees her: “You gave me no water for my feet – she bathed my feet with her tears You gave me no kiss – she has not stopped kissing my feet You did not anoint my head – she has anointed my feet.” Jesus sees a forgiven sinner and, as he illustrates with his story of two people in debt, the one who has been forgiven m...