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Times and Seasons - This is the Baptist, unkempt and yet ready
Times and Seasons - This is the Baptist, unkempt and yet ready
by Andrew Pratt
This is the Baptist, unkempt and yet ready, calling the people to listen and act; calling them down to the water for washing, talking of holiness, Godliness, fact. This is the man who will call to repentance fisherman, Pharisee, zealot and priest; here in the river the sinners wi…
What a scandal, such forgiveness
What a scandal, such forgiveness
by Andrew Pratt
What a scandal, such forgiveness, no repentance, just a show, this anointing seems so wasteful, who is she? And does he know? All conventions disconnected, does he know how this will look? See that Pharisee, affronted, all this seems outside his book. Verses 2-3 follow Tune: BETH…
When all is lost, there seems no turning back
When all is lost, there seems no turning back
by Andrew Pratt
When all is lost, there seems no turning back; when friends are gone, while gain has turned to lack; when life has left us in a crumpled heap, we slip and slide, we agonise and weep. Sometimes our lives are spun, flipped upside down, the royal are poor, the beggar wears a crown. …
52 Reflections on Faith - Ash Wednesday: depending on God
52 Reflections on Faith - Ash Wednesday: depending on God
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
4 Ash Wednesday: Depending on God Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter. Lent is a season of fasting and repentance in preparation for the joyous celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Day. The 40-day period comes from Jesus’ 40 d…
The Women's Bible Commentary - The History of the People and Their Enemies in the Exodus
The Women's Bible Commentary - The History of the People and Their Enemies in the Exodus
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The History of the People and Their Enemies in the Exodus The third part of the Wisdom of Solomon is marked by the sudden eclipse of Woman Wisdom, as God acts directly on behalf of the people…
embodying mark - 4 Following the Shepherd
embodying mark - 4 Following the Shepherd
by SPCK - meda a a stamper
4 Following the Shepherd As in the last chapter, so also here Mark begins a story, interrupts it with another, and then comes round to the first story again. The passage we are exploring now follows on from Jesus’ sending of the disciples two by two in 6.7–13 to participate in hi…
The Act of Prayer Year C - Second Sunday of Advent - Year C
The Act of Prayer Year C - Second Sunday of Advent - Year C
by BRF - John Birch
Second Sunday of Advent Year C Opening prayer This is Advent, the season of preparation. The shops are full of gifts that we might give or receive. Streets are decorated, and choirs begin the rounds of community centres and retirement homes with their seasonal offerings of carols…
Great Christian Thinkers - 15 St. John Chrysostom
Great Christian Thinkers - 15 St. John Chrysostom
by SPCK - Pope Benedict XVI
St. John Chrysostom The Years in Antioch Recently we observed the sixteenth centenary of St. John Chrysostom’s death (407–2007). It can be said that John of Antioch, nicknamed “Chrysostom,” that is, “golden-mouthed,” because of his eloquence, is also still alive today because of …
Great Christian Thinkers - 8 St. Cyprian
Great Christian Thinkers - 8 St. Cyprian
by SPCK - Pope Benedict XVI
St. Cyprian We come now to an excellent African bishop of the third century, St. Cyprian, “the first bishop in Africa to obtain the crown of martyrdom.” His fame, Pontius the Deacon, his first biographer, attests, is also linked to his literary corpus and pastoral activity during…
There is a season - Harvest Festival
There is a season - Harvest Festival
by SPCK - Margaret Pritchard Houston
HARVEST FESTIVAL Unless a grain of wheat falls… INTRODUCTION The meaning of Harvest Festival has changed dramatically in recent years. The UK is no longer an agrarian society – many children are now unaware of the origins of their food, let alone actively involved in its producti…
Prayer/Reflection: Of whom shall I be afraid?
Prayer/Reflection: Of whom shall I be afraid?
by Marjorie Dobson
Prayer/Reflection: Of whom shall I be afraid? ‘The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? Tell that to the sufferers of domestic violence; to the children neglected or abused; to the women raped by men with guns; to the families left homeless by floods; to…
Imagining the Lectionary: Held firm and strong (Epiphany 3B)
Imagining the Lectionary: Held firm and strong (Epiphany 3B)
by David Perry
Imagining the Lectionary: Held firm and strong (Epiphany 3B) Reflection accompanying images “Held firm and strong 1”, “Held firm and strong 2” and “Held firm and strong 3” The cross-shaped mooring bollards in the photographs convey such a real sense of hefty, unbreakable streng…
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Monday: Week 5 in Lent Year B
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B - Monday: Week 5 in Lent Year B
by SPCK - N T Wright
Lent for Everyone Mark Year B WEEK 5 MONDAY... Imagine you are standing on a high hill, overlooking a long valley. In the valley are villages, a river, fields and woods, with a network of small roads winding their way between them all. Now imagine that you can see a car, driving …
See the husks fly through the air
See the husks fly through the air
by Andrew Pratt
See the husks fly through the air, feel the all consuming fire, see the day of God is near, see the flames are licking higher. That's the image John conveys, bringing people to their knees. Is it penitence or fear, stimulates their present pleas? And within this time and place, a…
The Women's Bible Commentary - God as Faithful Husband, Israel as Faithful and Fruitful Wife
The Women's Bible Commentary - God as Faithful Husband, Israel as Faithful and Fruitful Wife
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
God as Faithful Husband, Israel as Faithful and Fruitful Wife In the third and final section, chapters 12–14, the prophet takes up the marital metaphor of chapters 1–3 once again. In the first section of the book, the punishment of the wife sparked her repentance and return to he…
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - The Third Sunday of Easter Year B
Gazing on the Gospels Year B - The Third Sunday of Easter Year B
by SPCK - Judith Dimond
The Third Sunday of Easter Luke 24.36b-48 Gaze on the reverence with which the scrolls of the Torah are handled in a Jewish synagogue. They are given pride of place, all eyes turned towards them as the doors of the Ark open and there they are, clothed in fine cloth with tinkling …
Lectionary Reflections - Year B - The Third Sunday before Advent Year B