Sunday's coming!

John 2: 1-12 The miracle of Jesus changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana is a story that I’m sure we all know. It’s such a well known story that even people who can’t remember much else about the gospel story remember that Jesus turned water into wine. And the author, John, himself tells us that this is the first of the ‘signs’ that reveal Jesus’ glory to his disciples. As we move on from Christmas and towards Lent & Easter, we are invited by this story to reflect on who Jesus is, and what he has been born to be and to do for the world. It certainly seems that Jesus wanted the people at the wedding to celebrate – 6 stone jars of 20-30 gallons each totals 120-180 gallons of wine – somewhere around a thousand bottles of wine! That’s quite a celebration – given that they’ve already drunk their way through whatever had been provided by the bridegroom. Jesus shows his disciples his extraordinary God-given ability: who else can change water...

Epiphany The trees are down, the decorations put away for another year, the cards are recycled or sitting in a pile waiting to be ‘dealt with’. So how come the wise men have only just arrived? Today’s readings are the readings for Epiphany – celebrated on January 6 th or the nearest Sunday. We celebrate the arrival of the wise men, but more than that we celebrate God’s glory shining in the world. We may have put the Christmas decorations back in the loft, but we can still celebrate the fact that God is with us, not only at Christmas, but always. And of course today we have even more reason to celebrate as we welcome Luke & Rebecca into membership to worship and live and work alongside all of you here at Plymtree. Paul writes in the letter to the Ephesians what this fact of God with us means. The light of Christ has shone in all the world, to all people – Jew and Gentile. Paul says “the mystery was made known to me by revelation”. God’s love...

I am preaching at Tavistock URC, where we are also marking the retirement of their minister, Roger Cornish. Readings:  Zephaniah 3:14-20 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 The prophet Zephaniah declares “Sing aloud, you daughters of Jerusalem! Shout & exult!” Saint Paul says “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!” John the Baptist shouts “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”. It sounds at first hearing as if John the Baptist wins the prize for ‘least Christmassy message of joy’ this morning. But I want to suggest that it is John who has the message we need to hear. I can’t be the only one who cringes at the relentless advertising showing us the perfect family Christmas, with permanently twinkling lights and roaring log fires and endless good cheer. I cringe because I don’t want to ignore all the realities of this world and shut myself away from the truth by creating an alternative world o...

Mark 10: 46-52 Perhaps we hear this story from Mark’s gospel as yet another healing story: miraculous and wonderful for the man who regains his sight, but just another example of Jesus helping and healing someone who needed it. But the story contains a most intriguing question: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’. Jesus asks this question of blind Bartimaeus – a man who cannot work because he cannot see, and so who has to beg for a living. A man so low-down the social pecking order that when he first calls out to Jesus people around tell him to shut up, they don’t want him bothering Jesus, the great teacher & healer. What does blind Bartimaeus want? He wants to see, he wants his life back, he wants the gracious power of Jesus to change him. He wants to be healed.. and he is. And at one level that’s all we need from this story – a story of Good News for Bartimaeus. But this story can tell us so much more, if we’ll let it. It’s position he...