Lectionary 18/04/2025
- Easter Vigil - NT and Psalm - Year ABC
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An empty cave, the stone removed
An empty cave, the stone removed
by Andrew Pratt
An empty cave, the stone removed, a neatly folded shroud remained, confusion magnified their grief, no sense that life might be regained. So terrified, the women ran, afraid, their world turned upside down, and while the light of dawn had come, their fear became a tattered gown. …
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - From Worldview to Theology
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - From Worldview to Theology
by SPCK - N T Wright
Part 1: PAUL AND HIS WORLD Chapter One RETURN OF THE RUNAWAY? 2 Philemon and the Study of Paul (iii) From Worldview to Theology The particular claim of the present book, then, embodied in the transition between Part II and Part III, is that when we understand the worldview of Pau…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy
by SPCK - N T Wright
3. Athene and Her Owl: the Wisdom of the Greeks Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy Before we do that, one final task remains. Granted that Paul grew up in the world of strict Pharisaic Judaism, what response might we expect him to have to the world of pagan philosophy? It would…
The Living God - Creator of heaven and earth
The Living God - Creator of heaven and earth
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
Creator of heaven and earth 4 One of my favourite stories from the classical age concerns the Greek philosopher Aristippus (c. 435 –c. 356 bc), who found himself shipwrecked on the Aegean island of Rhodes. He had no idea where he was. Was this strange place uninhabited? Would he …
The Living God - Discerning wisdom: works of art and the creation
The Living God - Discerning wisdom: works of art and the creation
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
Creator of heaven and earth 4 Discerning wisdom: works of art and the creation One of my memories of my time as an undergraduate at Wadham College, Oxford, is admiring the portrait of Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723) that adorned the panelled walls of the college’s dining hall. I…
Rhythms of remembering - Easter - Tuesday Morning Prayer
Rhythms of remembering - Easter - Tuesday Morning Prayer
by SPCK - Hannah Ward & Jennifer Wild
EASTER - Tuesday Morning Prayer Alleluia, blessed be God: you come to redeem us, alleluia. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation...
Rhythms of remembering - Ordinary Time - Wednesday Evening Prayer
Rhythms of remembering - Ordinary Time - Wednesday Evening Prayer
by SPCK - Hannah Ward & Jennifer Wild
ORDINARY TIME - Wednesday Evening Prayer Blessed are you, O God, God of all the ages, and of all creatures. Blessed is your unfailing love towards us, to those before us, and all who will come after us,...
Rhythms of remembering - Lent - Saturday Morning Prayer
Rhythms of remembering - Lent - Saturday Morning Prayer
by SPCK - Hannah Ward & Jennifer Wild
LENT - Saturday Morning Prayer Blessed are you, O God: you watch with us in our darkness. My soul waits for you more than the night-watch for the morning, more than the night-watch for the morning. Psalm 130.5...
Rhythms of remembering - Christmas - Monday Evening Prayer
Rhythms of remembering - Christmas - Monday Evening Prayer
by SPCK - Hannah Ward & Jennifer Wild
CHRISTMAS - Monday Evening Prayer O magnify the Lord with me; for God’s mercy lasts for ever. Blessed are the poor, for they are free to hear; those who have nothing left are able to receive; those who are fast bound – they know what freedom means...
Rhythms of remembering - Christmas - Friday Morning Prayer
Rhythms of remembering - Christmas - Friday Morning Prayer
by SPCK - Hannah Ward & Jennifer Wild
CHRISTMAS - Friday Morning Prayer RHYTHMS of Remembering Blessed are you, O God: glimpsed in a baby. Joyful is the dark, holy, hidden God, rolling cloud of night beyond all naming, Majesty in darkness, Energy of love, Word-in-Flesh, the mystery proclaiming. Brian Wren...
Barren cross
Barren cross
by Joy Sykes
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - The Real King of Kings
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - The Real King of Kings
by SPCK - John Goldingay
The Real King of Kings Psalm 97-98 According to news reports, Muammar el-Qaddafi, who had ruled Libya for over forty years, once declared, “I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa and the imam of Muslims, and my international status …
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - On Being Open to the Unexpected
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - On Being Open to the Unexpected
by SPCK - John Goldingay
On Being Open to the Unexpected Psalm 113-114 In commenting on Psalm 108, I spoke of a friend’s Pentecostal church that seemed to have no more expectation of God’s acting than evangelical or mainline churches do. But yesterday I sat in the ophthalmologist’s waiting room reading a…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - His Commitment Is Forever
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - His Commitment Is Forever
by SPCK - John Goldingay
His Commitment Is Forever Psalm 136 A former student of mine served as an armed forces chaplain in Iraq for two years after graduating from seminary. One week he called me from there. He had felt compelled to preach on the idea of God’s steadfast love. He remembered my explaining…
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - God’s Faithfulness, Not Mine
Psalms for Everyone Part 2 - God’s Faithfulness, Not Mine
by SPCK - John Goldingay
God’s Faithfulness, Not Mine Psalm 143 Contrary to the resolve she had announced a few days ago, first thing this morning my wife sat at her computer checking the news. Eventually I asked her what had happened to her resolve to begin the day with her time of devotion, and in horr…
Journeying With Mark Year B - Epiphany
Journeying With Mark Year B - Epiphany
by SPCK - Woodward, Gooder and Pryce
3 Epiphany Exploring the text In the season of Epiphany we celebrate the revelation of God in the world, and in particular his revelation to the Magi in Matthew’s Gospel. Yet again this idea seems to run counter to Mark’s Gospel, which appears on the surface to be more concerned …
Journeying With Mark Year B - Easter
Journeying With Mark Year B - Easter
by SPCK - Woodward, Gooder and Pryce
6 Easter Exploring the text Probably one of the best-known features of Mark’s Gospel is its ending – or, depending on your perspective, its lack of ending. Unlike the other Gospels, the accounts of resurrection in Mark are sparse in the extreme. In Matthew an angel appears to Mar…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - In at the kill
Four Gospels, One Jesus - In at the kill
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
In at the kill The Passion, Mark 14—15 At last we come to the ending – the Markan Passion, a dark scene to which the whole gospel has been leading. Jesus has made his way to Jerusalem, and this geographical concentration has brought the conflict into focus: a lion’s story should …
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Where is he who is born King of the Jews?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Where is he who is born King of the Jews?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Where is he who is born King of the Jews? Infancy narratives, Matthew 1—2 Mark begins with ‘the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ’, but Matthew picks another key word – genesis: ‘the book of the generation (biblos geneseos) of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham’ (1.…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's vindication
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's vindication
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The Teacher’s vindication The Resurrection, Matthew 28 This atmosphere of supernatural intervention openly visible to all continues into Matthew’s resurrection account, as does his desire to tie up the loose ends and explain the difficulties. While Mark ends with a characteristic…
Enabling Church: inclusion of disabled people - Author's introduction
Enabling Church: inclusion of disabled people - Author's introduction
by SPCK - Gordon Temple and Lin Ball
Author’s Introduction: Living interdependently The life experience of those in the African bush is so different from that of those in Europe, as I discovered on a trip to Malawi and Uganda. I felt privileged to spend time with some of the poorest people on the planet: blind peopl…
Enabling Church: inclusion of disabled people - Knowing we're made in his image
Enabling Church: inclusion of disabled people - Knowing we're made in his image
by SPCK - Gordon Temple and Lin Ball
1 Knowing we’re made in his image Genesis 1.26 –31; 1 John 3.2 Purpose: to explore what it means to be human, made in God’s image; to challenge prejudices about what is ‘normal’. Prayer Thank God for the Bible – his inspired message to us all – and for all that it can teach us of…
the greatest prayer - Prologue The Strangest Prayer
the greatest prayer - Prologue The Strangest Prayer
by SPCK - John Dominic Crossan
PROLOGUE The Strangest Prayer The Lord’s Prayer is Christianity’s greatest prayer. It is also Christianity’s strangest prayer. It is prayed by all Christians, but it never mentions Christ. It is prayed in all churches, but it never mentions church. It is prayed on all Sundays, bu…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book I (Pss. 1-41)
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book I (Pss. 1-41)
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book I (Pss. 1-41) Book I opens, in Psalm 1, with words encouraging faithful meditation upon the Torah. The book continues in Psalm 2 with words of warning to the nations and their rulers to recognize the God of Israel as king over all. The psalms are framed (1:1 and 2:11) with t…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Family Wisdom
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Family Wisdom
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Family Wisdom (Prov. 1-9) A prologue announces that the book aims to impart wisdom (1:2–7). Thick with vocabulary essential to that endeavor, the prologue defines wisdom primarily in relational terms. Wisdom requires that everyone, the young and the wise alike, listen to instruct…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book IV
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book IV
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book IV (Psalm 90-106) Book IV opens with “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” It is the only psalm in the Hebrew Psalter ascribed to Moses. Its words are a plea to God for mercy: “Turn [shub], O YHWH! How long? Change your mind [nakham] concerning your servants” (90:13, my trans…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book V (Psalms 107-150) Book V of the Psalter opens with Psalm 107, a community hymn celebrating God’s graciousness in delivering the community of faith from exile in Babylon. The psalmist says: “Let the redeemed of YHWH say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Restoration and the Return of the Divine
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Restoration and the Return of the Divine
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Restoration and Return of the Divine (Ezekiel 25: 1- 48: 35) The oracles against the nations in chapters 25–32 form a kind of hinge in the book, as the scathing, judgment language against Israel comes to an end after the sign-action involving the lack of mourning observance for E…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Personified Daughter Zion
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Personified Daughter Zion
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Personified Daughter Zion (Isaiah 47: 1-15; 49: 14 – 50: 3; 51: 17 – 52: 12; 54: 1-17) Babylon’s fall is imagined throughout Isaiah 41–48, climaxing in chapter 47, where Daughter Babylon herself is taunted. Once tender and delicate, she will now sit throneless in the dust. She wi…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book II
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book II
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book II (Psalms 42-72) Book II of the Psalter, like Book I, contains many lament psalms. But unlike Book I, not all of the psalms are attributed to David. The Korahites, who were, according to the book of Chronicles, temple singers during the reigns of David and Solomon, mix thei…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Creating and Ordering the World
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Creating and Ordering the World
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Creating and Ordering the World (Genesis 1-11) Creation is not merely the initial coming into being of the universe and its life forms; it includes also the ordering and continuous unfolding of the world. All of Genesis 1–11 is about the creation of the cosmos, including the more…
The heavens declare
The heavens declare
by Diane Brennan
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Risk of Serving the Powerless
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Risk of Serving the Powerless
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Risk of Serving the Powerless Chapters 11–16, set in Jerusalem, parallel chapters 1–8, set in and around Galilee; each section has a major speech of Jesus in the middle: chapter 4 (parables) and chapter 13 (eschatological discourse)…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Passion of Jesus
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Passion of Jesus
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Passion of Jesus Jesus’ conflict with the Jerusalem authorities escalates. Our labels for these authorities are problematic at best: “Jewish” is anachronistic; “religious” as opposed to “political” is modern and Western. In first-century Jerusalem, the temple authorities, who…
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - Mark's gospel A Drama in Three Acts
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - Mark's gospel A Drama in Three Acts
by BRF - Dick France
MARK’S GOSPEL- A DRAMA in THREE ACTS After a prologue which sets the scene, Mark’s story unfolds in three main sections, each of which has a distinct geographical setting: 1:1–13 Prologue (set in ‘the wilderness’) 1:14—8:21 Act 1: Galilee 8:22—10:52 …
Traces of Glory Year B - Easter Day - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - Easter Day - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
Easter Day Blessed be the risen Lord; He has broken from the tomb and opens for us the gate to life eternal. Blessed be the risen Lord; He comes to his disciples, where two or three gather together he is there. Blessed be the risen Lord; He comes from the dead with life, He bring…
52 Reflections on Faith - Easter Sunday: transforming lives
52 Reflections on Faith - Easter Sunday: transforming lives
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Easter Sunday: transforming lives Once upon a time, a small caterpillar popped out of its egg and found itself sitting on a leaf. It had striped fur and was called Stripe. As Stripe made his way slowly along the branch of the tree and down the trunk, he looked into the distance a…
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - He Is Not There
Mark The People's Bible Commentary - He Is Not There
by BRF - Dick France
“He is Not Here” All four Gospels tell about the finding of the empty tomb early on Sunday morning. The details do not all agree—how many women? which women? the stone already gone or an angel rolling it back? How many angels and where were they? and just what did they say? But t…
52 Reflections on Faith - God and the world: Separate or together
52 Reflections on Faith - God and the world: Separate or together
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
God and the world:Separate or together? William Blake’s best-known painting is probably The Ancient of Days. Originally done in 1794 as the frontispiece for one of his illustrated books, it’s now in the British Museum. Often reproduced as a popular art poster in recent decades, t…
Traces of Glory Year B - Day of Pentecost - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - Day of Pentecost - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
The Day of Pentecost Come, Holy Spirit, Come upon us, Come around us, come within us; Come to lead us, come to guide us, That we may work in your power, And rest in your presence: Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with you and the Father, One god, for ever. Amen…
The Act of Prayer Year B - Day of Pentecost - Year B
The Act of Prayer Year B - Day of Pentecost - Year B
by BRF - John Birch
Day of Pentecost Year B The Act of Prayer Praying through the lectionary ACTS 2:1–21 Romans 8: 22-27 PSALM 104: 24-34, 35b JOHN 15: 26-27, 16: 4b-15; Opening prayer Loving Father, be the focus of our lives as we meet together in your name. Precious Jesus, be the cornerstone on wh…
Traces of Glory Year B - Proper 13 - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - Proper 13 - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
Proper 13 Traces of Glory Year B O Lord our God, you give us the true bread that comes down from heaven, even your son Jesus Christ our Lord; grant that as they receive him into your life we may be filled with the fullness of his love and abide in him as he abides in us; through …
Isaiah for Everyone - A Day When There Will Be a Song to Sing
Isaiah for Everyone - A Day When There Will Be a Song to Sing
by SPCK - John Goldingay
A Day When There Will Be a Song to Sing Our city’s annual Black History Parade this year had the theme “Looking back and remembering: we’ve come a mighty long way.” The words reminded me of the hymn, “We’ve Come This Far by Faith.”…
52 Reflections on Faith - Seeing God: a way of life
52 Reflections on Faith - Seeing God: a way of life
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Seeing God: a way of life Where do you ‘see God’? Where do you experience God? Where is God most real to you? There are probably particular times in your life when you sense God’s presence more than you normally do—special places where you feel close to God. You might have had a …
Traces of Glory Year B - Proper 19 - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - Proper 19 - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
Proper 19 O Lord, as Peter confessed you as Christ, give us boldness to proclaim your redeeming love and saving power in the world; may we be ready to beat the cross and give ourselves for others and the advancement of your kingdom; we ask this in your Name, Jesus our Lord, who w…
Psalm 46:5
Psalm 46:5
by Rev David East
TIP- PowerPoint Slide Size- The ideal way to insert into PowerPoint is:- • Reduce the image size to 1024x768 pixels using your image editing software. (Will reduce image proportionally) • Insert as Picture in the normal way. • If needed fill the slide area by placing the image in…
Traces of Glory Year B - Bible Sunday - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - Bible Sunday - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
Bible Sunday Father, we give you thanks for your holy word spoken of old by the prophets and apostles, for all that is written in the Scriptures, that is proclaimed by evangelists and preachers; we pray that we may heed your word and come to know the Word made flesh, even Jesus C…
Traces of Glory Year B - The Second Sunday Before Advent - Year B
Traces of Glory Year B - The Second Sunday Before Advent - Year B
by SPCK - David Adam
The Second Sunday Before Advent God of all power and might, give us grace to trust you in the darkness as well as in the light. In the face of danger and adversity be our strength and hope, that we may live and work to your praise and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is …
The Act of Prayer Year C - Third Sunday of Advent - Year C
The Act of Prayer Year C - Third Sunday of Advent - Year C
by BRF - John Birch
Third Sunday of Advent Year C Opening prayer This is Advent, the season of expectation. In homes throughout the land, Christmas cards stand on mantelpiece and windowsill. Festive trees are adorned with tinsel and baubles, and children wonder what gifts will lie beneath the tree t…
glimpses of glory - Third Sunday of Advent - Year C
glimpses of glory - Third Sunday of Advent - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
The Third Sunday of Advent Good and gracious God, grant us a glimpse of your glory, That we may rejoice in your presence and abide in peace; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen…
Isaiah for everyone - A Time to Cry and a time to Whoop
Isaiah for everyone - A Time to Cry and a time to Whoop
by SPCK - John Goldingay
A Time to Cry and a Time to Whoop We had dinner with a young couple a few months ago and were delighted to discover that they were expecting their first baby. It was not their first pregnancy; the wife had had a miscarriage last year. I remember how distressing it was when my fir…
Isaiah for everyone - Our Ideas and Plans, and God’s
Isaiah for everyone - Our Ideas and Plans, and God’s
by SPCK - John Goldingay
Our Ideas and Plans, and God’s This morning we had the last regular seminary chapel of the year, the last regular seminary chapel ever for people who were graduating. The preacher was an eighty-year-old retired professor who told us stories about his experience at that stage of h…
glimpses of glory - Christmas Day - Year C
glimpses of glory - Christmas Day - Year C
by SPCK - David Adam
Christmas Day Almighty Father, we rejoice in the coming of Christ our Lord. We pray that, as he has taken on our humanity, through your grace and goodness we may share in your divinity, and so partake in the radiance of your glory; through him who came down for us and is alive an…
The Act of Prayer Year C - Third Sunday of Epiphany Year C
The Act of Prayer Year C - Third Sunday of Epiphany Year C
by BRF - John Birch
Third Sunday of Epiphany Year C Opening prayer Lord God, we are here today to listen to your word, bring the prayers that are on our hearts and join together in fellowship. Speak to us through scripture, hymns, prayer and meditation…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Mothers and Fathers of Israel
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Mothers and Fathers of Israel
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Mothers and Fathers of Israel Commentaries on Genesis 12–50 generally focus on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, ancestral heroes of Israel. Their life stories are built from traditional elements such as the hero’s unusual birth, his stormy relationship with his brothers, yo…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Women at the Cross and Empty Tomb
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Women at the Cross and Empty Tomb
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Women at the Cross and Empty Tomb In the final three chapters of this Gospel, women all but disappear. This is so because the reader enters the world of male politics, violence, and bonding, but also because Luke is describing last preparations and authorization of male figures f…
The Act of Prayer Year C - Third Sunday of Easter Year C
The Act of Prayer Year C - Third Sunday of Easter Year C
by BRF - John Birch
Third Sunday of Easter Year C Opening prayer May the God of life, who spoke to the heart of Saul on the road to Damascus, speak to us in this place as we gather for worship, bring our prayers and listen to his word. May we see his light, follow where he leads us and be used in se…
embodying mark - 8 Into the Silence
embodying mark - 8 Into the Silence
by SPCK - meda a a stamper
8 Into the Silence They have been in the story all along, but silent and invisible, unnamed like the woman with her alabaster jar, until now. Even once some of them are named, at the death and the burial (15.40 – 41, 47), still they are motionless and voiceless…
Psalm 19 - the glory of |God