What is metanoia
Like any good sports match, it can often be a game of two halves. This week's passage also comes in two halves, and we may need to consider each part...
The end is nigh
As of mid April, the posts will cease and the website will disappear. It has served its purpose, and now, as everything, has come to the end of its natural...
We all go silent
OK, it's the second week of Lent, that time of journeying with Jesus, as he is on the way to Jerusalem, to suffer, or with passion (its meaning is not...
Who is up for some temptations
As we move into that period known as Lent, not something to be borrowed, but a time when we recall the suffering which can lead to a better life. Lent...
Did this happen
As it is this year, this Sunday's lesson is the one just before Lent. We supposedly do this so that we are strengthened before we journey with the passion of...
Who would we want to be
This week's passage is going to cause some angst amongst many of us. We could see it as a direct response towards the machinations of today, or an argument offered...
Who all befriend the poor
In the weekly readings from the Bible, suggested by certain denominations of the Church, known as the Lectionary, we seem to have skipped a fair few passages from last week....
Woke Personified
Crowds surrounded Jesus, eager to hear his every word. The breeze from the nearby lake cooling them down as they lap up the wisdom on offer. The two boats which...
What about us
I have read a number of posts on social media recently which state that whatever that person believes means that they will go to Heaven; of course, if you don't...
One Body
I am beginning to feel a bit discombobulated. Not because I am called Bob, but because of all that is happening around the world at this time. It seems that...
What day of the week is it
Retirement poses that question often to my short experience: what day is it? You can, and I do, forget the date and also the day. One flows into the next....
why is fire mentioned
We have moved from 'Christmas', in the church season of readings, and have moved into Epiphany. That's odd as, just as Downton Abbey's meme indicates : "Christmas doesn't end until...
Found the Donkey
You recall in the Nativity scenes we have our donkey, braying and chewing at the straw, whilst Jesus is laying there in the manger, "no crying he makes" - yeah,...
Light which defies and defines darkness
"Look how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness" Often misattributed to Anne Frank As we gaze upon the vista of the year ahead, unsure of what...
So this is Christmas
And, so this is Christmas, what have we done? as the lyrics from John Lennon go. As we maybe gather around a dining table laden with traditional Christmas fare of...
Low and Behold
We come to our fourth Sunday in Advent. Its focus is Love. The passage is Luke 1: 39-56 and this contains the Magnificat, the song of Mary to her relative...
How to bring Joy
In our third Advent Sunday reading, we are taken to Luke 3:7-18, following on from the Peace of last week. Whereas we started to hear of John the Baptist (JtB)...
Can I have some Peace of that
In the second week of Advent we may engage with Luke 3:1-6; it is the alternative passage from the Gospel. In Europe, the tensions with Ukraine and Russia are ratcheting...
What is Hope?
Well, it's not present-day reality. It is the very essence of what may be, what we hold in faith as a belief, in our heart and mind. It is what...
If Christ is a King
We have moved away from working through the Gospel according to Mark, and so we pop over to John's Gospel before the season of Advent starts. This Sunday is colloquially...
Do we see what they did there
No, it's not a sleight of hand, it's not magic, just a way of making us think of something else when they explain it. I could be telling you about...
Nice hymns vicar
Last week, we had Jesus in a political debate with the Scribes, just after a conversation with the Sadducees. Was it heart, soul and strength which mattered, or could we...
What do I need to do!
The tensions are running high across the 'pond'; but they are always high when we venture upon the landscape of any social media. Anger breaks out when the other person...
from the roadside to being on the Way
I have been listening to a series of podcasts recently describing the upsurge in conspiracy theories, predominantly in the US. We had a Prime Minister in the UK who had...
Jesus and a ransom
This blog wasn't permitted by FB to be released, on 16 October 2024, during the various elections, so any references to elections have been deleted. It speaks of Jesus and...
Get more persecutions here!
It's odd when people tell story how the characters within that story might change, but the end result is pretty much the same. Each culture might use a certain stereotypical...
Lazarus and a Rich Man : talking poles apart
In the previous century, it was the generally accepted thing to pray for the dead. Funerals were for the dead, but over time, that focus changed and, today, funerals are...
What is divorce
Historically, marriage was a property exchange (that is, chattels were needed), or a way of ensuring stability for the woman, or a way for a man to continue their lineage....
James V
In our short time looking at this book of James, we might have rediscovered a desire to examine not just the words on the page, but the deeper context of...
Is this ‘The Way’
Imagine a child sitting with Jesus. OK, ignoring the Disney-character image of 'blonde-haired blue-eyed' Jesus, just focus upon that image of the child sitting with Jesus. And then the disciples...
James iV
We are at the penultimate Chapter of this wee book or letter. It's more probably a series of good sayings or aphorisms. Was it sent to the God-followers in Jerusalem?...
Why are children mentioned
The schools are back and we might see the wee ones wend their way to and from school these days. The primary children look so small - or is it...
James 3
The author starts this Chapter with no introduction, no gentle description of the problem that is at large, no reason for writing. As we said earlier, this is not so...
Did Jesus change?
Was there ever a time when you recognised that you had changed? Perhaps you can identify when you transitioned from teenager to adult, or from working adult to one that...
James II
So, we move to look at the second Chapter of James, albeit of course that Chapters did not exist until 1560, in an English translation of the Geneva Bible. Last...
Shall we listen to the woman?
Have we ever felt so affected by an issue that we need to protest? It's not the done thing for us perhaps? This passage from Mark's Gospel is one which...
James in a month – Chapter 1
I'd like to focus, for just a month, on the book of James, or rather Jakob - the original name. It is buried deep within our New Testament, but only...
Tradition – baloney?
What might we regularly do, but can't recall why? Thinking of the context within the church building and on a Sunday, I was thinking of: perhaps we bow down or...
Where does our faith stand with armour
Last week, we looked at what is purportedly Paul's letter from a Roman prison to the church in Ephesus. We considered that this may well have been written twenty or...
Living Wisely
Gratitude : a lens to shift all of life's expectations This week we are looking at a passage from the letter to the Ephesians. So, before we begin, let's use...
What if what we were told it could just be a theory
When we read the Scriptures, we may have to make a variety of assumptions. Do we read the text literally or metaphorically, is it historical or a description of what...
Walk on by
The Church is the boat. Jesus is not in the boat. Take a moment to see this scene. Not the splashing around by Peter, not the wonder of walking on...
Old Testament : in order
When did you start to read the Bible? One problem we might have with 'reading the Bible' is that we take it as it is, sometimes literally, other times metaphorically,...
A Response about the Lord’s Prayer
No, not about the Olympic Games...Question: "Thine is the Kingdom, the power and Glory for, ever and ever" - why is not present in certain versions of the Lord's Prayer?...
I don’t care how you get there
In the passage for this week, Matthew 14:13-21, we read of Jesus meeting the needs of nigh on 5000 folk, whilst the disciples are flummoxed by the whole thing. When...
The Treasure within
Having just moved recently, we can often, now be looking for a particular item. Yes, I know we packed it in one of the boxes, but since we have unpacked,...
Regrets
Have we ever said something we might later regret? When we promise a child that we can get that ice cream upon our return? I recall our children hearing "I'll...
Salt for the chips, not for the slugs
Have you ever been to a job interview? They are nervy occasions, one’s where you step forward with trepidation: will they see my potential, will I be able to say...
What shall we do now
We have arrived at Genesis 37. It’s been quite a journey, but I would ask you today to try, if you can, to forget your childhood impression of the story...
Change, all change
Change is inevitable. The new minister for Glasgow West, Pollokshaws and one who will be working closely with the Clydebank addiction recovery programme, has been announced. They bring such a wealth...
Sibling Rivalry
Where are we on our journey through Genesis? Recall that Genesis is part of the Jewish Torah, the Law. The Torah forms part of the Tanakh, which pulls together the...
Being barren
In our study of Genesis, one theme is very evident. A number of the stories relate to women who are unable to have children, and deemed to be barren. We...
Response about Paradise
I’d like to pushback on that particular verse Luke 23:43 in which it has been translated as "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”. 1....
A New Start
There was such relief when a baby is born; I fear more so from Mum's than Dad's. But what follows is never really one anyone could prepare for. Yes, we...
How original is original
In the first 11 chapters of Genesis we have the creation myths, of structure from chaos, that we have a choice : our way or God's way, that we can...
The beginning of the beginnings
The great sprint champion, Usain Bolt, purportedly said that you go off on the B of the bang. And so, we look, during Bible Month, at the book of Genesis....
There was this visitor
In the Gospel of John, purportedly written by the community that John started, up in the Qumran desert area, we read of their take of what Jesus said nearing his...
Be a good sheep
“But why? Why does Jesus the good shepherd lay down his life? To tell us that we are, in fact, enough. Jesus, especially in John's gospel, doesn't die in order...
Where they are
I hate to start with the word politics. It means ‘affairs of the people of the city’. No, I don’t mean those sort of affairs, but how everything relates to...
An idyllic community
It's a week after Easter, we may be so full of Easter eggs that we are reluctant to even look at one. The sun has set, our energy levels, once...
Easter Day: Would we have hidden?
Let's set the scene. Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem...on a donkey. The place is crushed, and no where to even park a donkey. People have arrived early to sort out...
Was Judas depressed
We read in the Gospels that Judas betrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. But, I ask that we should give him a break. What could he be thinking in...
One seamless ribbon which binds and holds the person together
We have arrived at the last session of this Lenten programme of journeying through the 12 Steps, as used by the Anonymous programmes. Are the 12 Steps all linked together,...
When does this journey end
Working through addiction is a long journey. The adage says "no one said it would be easy", and no one gave timeframe to be recovered. In our spiritual life, no...
Nike : Just Do it
We are over the hill, on our way down from the summit. Week 4 of 6, with Easter approaching, and we have Steps 7, 8 and 9 in our sights...
Who are we?
As we approach the third week of Lent, we start to look some exacting statements which those in recovery are asked to make. There is no timeframe in which they...
Something bigger than us
In our six-week look at the 12 Steps programme used by those in the Anonymous groups, we have covered the first step "We admit we are powerless over life challenges...
Those initial wobbly steps
When anyone starts out on a journey, perhaps a new job, as a child, our first steps are possibly tentative. Going too far or fast might be counter-productive - it...
Future Event Already Ruined?
Why do we fear? Is it because we are scared of something or someone? Or possibly the wee voice, that never seems to sleep, has just whispered "FEAR = future...
Sitting with someone
Once, someone ordered some fast food to be delivered. Upon receipt they checked through the various carrier bags and containers. Main course - yes!, starts - Yes!, pudding - Yes!,...
What’s our focus?
In every scene we may have onlookers who perceive a different perspective. An accident may have multiple witnesses and possibly multiple different accounts. In the film Patch Adams, which I...
U-turn
If we popped into our local cafe to share with others the good news of today, what might we offer? Would it be that Jesus loves them, or wow that...
Can anything good come out of Glasgow? (previously blogged)
Well after a lengthy exploration of John the Baptist's work last week we are now nipping over to the Gospel of John yet again: John 1:43-51. We are moving from...
a new chapter, today?
Welcome to the start of the new year - I accept I am a bit late for some of you. First opportunity and the like... So with all talk of...
What do you expect?
Think of a family attending church today. What might they expect or wish? What might they actually experience - not what we might feel but a newcomer? The congregations might...
is this Christmas?
We have, perhaps, heard in the carols this Christmas time of the old, old story. The story we have heard so many times. Of the journey to Bethlehem, of the...
Punktokos anyone?
In the New Testament, Mary’s real name is Miriam which literally means “their rebellion.” The Romans had overthrown the local rulers, put in place their own puppet rulers, and often the troops from Syrian...
Counter Cultural
If John was a hairy chap, purportedly eating an odd diet of locusts and honey, can we also be counter-cultural this year as we prepare for Christmas? Where are we?...
Wot no Christmas story!
When we celebrate Christmas, we might not use the term Advent very often, but we might acknowledge it as a time awaiting the 'big day'. For some, Advent is that...
Breaking into that passive queue
Do you recall that twee picture of you at School? You were all put in order and, one at a time, you stood in front of a board with a...
What exactly is a King?
Welcome to Christ the King Sunday. What exactly does that mean - do we get cake? Should we be celebrating something, a bit prior to Christmas? At the end of...
Economics not Talents
Jesus spoke about relatable situations, so that he didn’t talk over the heads of those around him. They connected. He translated his understanding of God contextually to connect with others....
Remembrance Sunday…again
It's that day again. That day when we recall, with pomp, with pride, the loss of so many lives over so many wars, and repeat "lest we forget" - but...
Keeping it real when all around you
This is quite a confrontation with an increasingly bitter conflict. It could be Prime Minister's Questions but I'm reading from Matthew 23:1-12, a 'debate' between the synagogue where the author...
Choices: political or spiritual?
Well our land is currently concerned with ULEZ (or LEZ for those in Glasgow), whether all genders are allowed in a hospital, shall we have 20mph speed limits and (is...
Currency
In recent weeks we have had the political conferences from the Conservatives, SNP, Labour and Liberals. We have also acutely aware of the travesties of war, resulting from extremist views;...
Which one sounds like the God you may know?
We are looking at two passages this week: both relate to the same scene but are vastly different. Both speak of the Kingdom of God, but one represents God as...
EASEing into Death
This has been a week of death cafes, and it's not even Halloween or our annual time of Remembrance. We met on the Tuesday to listen to a presentation from...
10 what
In Exodus and Deuteronomy we have what's known as the Ten Commandments but they are not... So, they are the 10 what? No, they are called the Decalogue. Think of...
Rearranging the stones
There is a phrase “We say that we are going to work in the ‘vineyard’, but instead of harvesting the grapes we spend our time rearranging the stones along the...
How much are they worth?
Have you ever been to a cafe and winced then looking at cost of the items on the menu? How can they charge that much for a sandwich? You could...
What just happened?
When there is an incident, witnesses are gathered and evidence gleaned. Occasionally those accounts differ but why? Do we recall the story when the Israelites were escaping Egypt and they...
Flipping Conflict
There will be no further mention of the humble isosceles, nor its colleague, the scalene triangle. Neither will its proper relative, the right angled triangle. But triangles are used in...
Evacuation Plan
In recent weeks we have seen plans for evacuating Greek islands and Maui in Hawaii. It makes obvious sense to have a plan, albeit some might question the implementation of...
Church is archaic
Often we may have heard a biblical passage and thought, what relevance has this for me? Especially today. In fact, the relevance of church is questioned by many in society....
Walk the walk as well as talk the talk
We often hear of disasters on the radio or see them on the TV or on our social media devices. We hear of them nigh on instantly these days. We...
Storm in our teacup
Why did the disciples cross the sea? No, it is not a prelude to the joke about why the chicken crossed the road, but the answer “to get to the...
Privatised faith isn’t publicly owned
Death of TV I recall hearing a clip from a TV programme about the future of television. "Linear television will die" said the commentator. What did they mean ‘ linear...
Keep it real
Do you know Psalm 23? Albeit written 1000 BC, it is still so familiar to many. But do we let the words to flow by us, mutter them at a...
Tell the difference
In the middle of Matthew 13 we have the start of the 'Kingdom of Heaven is like' passages. This is how God can be seen or how the 'church' might...
Should we compare?
When we start to listen to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), we are already perhaps moving onto the answer. Jesus is at the seaside, when a crowd joins...
Who wants a lighter yoke?
You know when people have three pictures hung on a wall, I think they call out a tryptic. It looks great, despite it being disjointed. Well, this week's passage is...
Want a cuppa?
All we need to do is to welcome others... such a simple message but recall that the preceding verses speak of a message from Jesus - as shown on the...
Stand up for me against world opinion
Do you enjoy politics? You might have seen or heard Prime Minister’s Questions, or how to not answer any questions but give your particular relevant soundbite, and so on. It...
Truth Be Told
This passage is about Matthew or Levi the tax collector. Jesus has not been slack and has now amassed his disciples. But this is not a club but a community...
Belief or how we live
In the Gospels there is a sort of hierarchy. Not of precedence or importance but of history - which one was written first. We have Mark's Gospel which scholars believe...
Doubt
“This is Trinity Sunday, but society doesn’t care really. This is Trinity Sunday, but it doesn’t pay the bills. "But, this is Trinity Sunday," is states on the Plan. Even...
Pentecost : Who is in?
We have people meeting in one place, it’s Pentecost, 50 days after Passover. It’s a house (Acts 2:2) – too early for a church perhaps. Would they have said synagogue...
Who are riding those horses now?
Where have we been on our journey within Revelation? I wonder where those horses have gone? Who are riding those horses now? Those four horses are riding amongst us, and...
Beasts and whatnots
We have had the seven churches, last week it was the seven angels with their trumpets; and we only at week 3 of our exploration of Revelation. I thought angels...
Unlocking what?
It's odd that in recent weeks we have considered the disciples being in a locked room. Locked for fear of the Jews - for that please read certain Jewish leaders...
Is Revelation a blueprint?
Have you heard of the Book of Revelation? Well, may be aware of it but seldom is it unread or unpacked. I’d like to start with a quote from Luke...
What is the door for?
That door, at the front of Church: what is it for? It has a lock on it: why? It is an interesting question as it asks whether the door is...
On a road to nowhere
It's Easter Day - well, it is in our story today. You'd have thought we would have moved on a week or so. Last week, we were recapping how the...
A two-way swing bridge
This is so different to the Easter message of last week. We celebrate Easter with eggs, daffodils, cheers and songs of praise, and don't forget those wonderful Marmite flavoured Hot...
Our Tomb
How does Resurrection: our rising, our flourishing, Easter, apply to us today? What is perhaps hidden? John’s Gospel has been all about Darkness and Light. Lazarus returning to life from...
Holy Wednesday
Our focus this Holy week is Bread for the Hungry, Bread for the Weary. After the Pandemic, amidst the cost of living crisis, we sure are weary. With competing crisis’...
This brings so many questions
Yet another Palm Sunday approaches. We seek to experience what it might be like for Jesus as he enters the hallowed city of Jerusalem, and what it says to us...
Beyond the Cremation?
Sanctuary There is one way which we can decide 'how to go'. Yes, there is burial - both in a coffin or natural; there is aquamation or terramation - neither...
Who rolled our stone away
Lazarus is ill. Hey, who is Lazarus? Lazarus is the one whom Jesus loved. It says more than a handful of times. Don't we know that John’s Gospel denotes the...
What did we see?
Today's story relates to a blind beggar, or does it? Yes, they are a principal character but possibly we are drawn to them for another reason, a deeper reasoning. What...
Misogyny reversed?
On our Lenten journey this year we have encountered an unfaltering relationship with God, a night time misunderstanding with Nicodemus, and now we are back into the heat and blinding...
The secret believer
We have met Nicodemus many times before. We have a Pharisee, a Jewish leader, who is struggling with his faith. He meets with Jesus in the dark. That’s purposefully stated...
What are we not seeing?
You know when you watch a TV programme and think you have seen it all, but then you notice something very different? It is the character on the left of...
Enlightened
Our passage (Matthew 17:1-8) could be describing Jesus being transformed from the ordinary to the divine. Or was Jesus always divine or just enlightened? Early Journeys of Jesus As one...
Is it one or the other or even more?
Don’t blame women for what they wear. In the news recently we may have heard of the ongoing debate on HS2, and whether it might ever make it to Scotland,...
Light the world
Do you recall when you used a piece of glass to focus a beam of light onto a creature make a rainbow on the ground? It seemed to amazing that...
Attitude or our identity
'Life of Brian' This week we are looking at a famous passage, where Jesus is on a hill speaking to a multitude of people, where the only negative comment in...
What wakes you up
Synoptic Gospels - not John What’s our wake up call? What are you like when the alarm goes off? Is it immediately jumping out of bed, and if you are...
Organ Renewed
As they always say: a church organ never dies, and on that note... Well, perhaps they don't say that very often, but it can be very difficult to scrap a...
Who are we one with?
In Paul's letter many letters to the Corinthians, and in particular 1 Cor 1:10-17, we hear of disputes between factions. But what is the context for this place called Corinth?...
Defection!
When a footballer or politician 'defects' to the other side, there is uproar. They have left all that is good and gone over to the dark side. There is booing...
Who doesn’t like a dunkin’
Can you recall your baptism or christening? Historically it was to ensure that we were welcomed into the Church i.e. God before we died. Given life expectancy back then, getting...
What to expect at the Death Café
The skeleton is listening! Atmosphere If you are expecting a foreboding venue with spiders webs, open coffins and a bit of dampness thrown in, sorry to disappoint. How about a...
Spiritual dis-ease
When do we succumb? That slice of cake, a drink, a bet, getting into drugs or watching porn? I'm certainly not equating any of these but to eat that cake,...
Where are we going now?
It is not like we may be travelling afar. We have had such a spate of strikes recently that may might be reluctant to take the train, travel down the...
It is a sign for today
Throughout the Christmas story we read of miracles: the virgin birth, the angels and the wise men. To some they are a beautiful depiction of God's love and might, able...
Anyone for a Brussel Sprout
We’d like to invite you to Come to the Table today, Christmas Day! No, we don’t have an inexhaustible supply of Brussel Sprouts, nor pigs in blankets, so why such a question? Because...
He was born – it was quite messy
In Matthew's description of the birth of Jesus there's a lot missing it would seem. Whereas parents might wish to add a lot more detail to the timeline, Matthew cuts...
Where do we start?
Regeneration of the Doctor There are a lot of smaller churches. Once they stood out as pinnacles of the community. People would attend at least for those hatches, matches, and...
I did, yeah, I created you
My, I thought Advent was all about Jesus? Last week we may have heard about John the Baptist. Well given that the birth of Jesus was only in 2 of...
Composting is good for us
In a recent blog they announced that only 5 States in the USA have legally accepted human decomposting. In the UK it is legal already. So what is this? "The...
Change yourself
Just a moment. Advent is the waiting for the birth of Jesus and here we have a story about John the Baptist. Surely John gets his own time of the...
When we are waiting
I was once told off for saying Christmas during Advent. I could feel the room chill as the words reverberated around the walls. Life is too short to worry about...
Where are we going?
So much to think about when confronted with death. And after the service all the people scatter. What do we do after the service? Where are we going? If we...
Kingdom or Kin_dom
If you are like me you may have slipped up a few times when mentioning Charles recently: I'll say Prince and then correct myself. It has taken me a bit...
How many deaths?
At last week's Death Cafe there was a surprising comment - there were many in fact - but this one stood out to me. How many deaths do we have?...
Remember and change
This passage, Matthew 5:4-10, was said when Jesus was up on a mountainside, so that he could see so far. I wondered if he looked over the top of the...
Words, Poems and the Eulogy
According to the Economist (paywall), the percentage of funerals led by Christian ministers (in England) had dropped to just over 20%. The significant increase in the number of civil celebrants...
What does marriage mean?
The sanctity of married life has always been a good storyline. We have had it in fictional tales such as with Eastenders and Coronation Street, but also in real life...
Hallo-death
Today is Halloween, also known as All Hallow's Eve, the day before All Hallow's or All Saint's Day. So Halloween precedes the day that some in the Church might commemorate...
Is Jesus anti-growth?
At the end of Chapter 18 we have Jesus approaching Jericho and he saw a blind man begging on the side of the road. The man shouts out to Jesus...
Funerals have been a-changing
When we contemplate the end for us we typically may think of cremation. But things have for a long time been a-changing. The first crematorium was legally allowed and opened...
Original Blessing
So we have a Pharisee and a tax collector( Luke 18:9-14). Whose side are you on currently? Which do you favour? Is it that we are taught to despise the...
Back to the Future
Time Circuits from DeLorean used in the first and second films Back to the future? Did you ever watch the movie? A boy in the Midwest of the USA and...
Compassion does not have borders
Luke, or the writer of this Gospel, has been talking about faith in Luke 17. That we should live a life of faith where we may repeatedly forgive others. It...
You’ll get over this
Why not listen to this classic track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FgDles4xq8 from Boney M. This passage of Psalm 137 probably originates from the period 587-539 BCE. Their captors are pleading for them to...
Cost of Greed Crisis (Luke 14)
https://youtu.be/-Cv2MIkxsQE How do we feel when we hear this? Is it justified? When the energy CAP will be changed once again next month, do we think of ourselves …or of...
Honest Open Prayers – can we go large?
What is this? The weeping prophet? Where’s their inner strength? They are certainly not a happy chappy are they? I am talking about Jeremiah from his wailing in Jerm 8:18-9:1....
Who will they sit with
The new leader of the Conservative party has been chosen, we have a new Prime Minister. They have met with Queen Elizabeth and now with King Charles. The Royal Family...
Harvest Festival in 2022
The Harvest Festival, where we traditionally celebrate the crops of the season. So what do we do with Harvest Festival in 2022? The local farmers will have been amongst the...
Birth a Table
Monty Python's Life of Brian He's back at it! Out on the Sabbath healing people. It could be the Life of Brian again! This time he wants to birth a...
Who wants membership today?
In today's society membership is possibly frowned upon. Joining means responsibility, possibly cost - so why bother? The desire to subscribe to Amazon and Disney may be increasing but is...
Can I disturb you?
One Sabbath... what does that really mean to us today? Rule based seating? Those days when society strictly adhered to the code of what we must wear, what we can...
Peace is not the absence of conflict
Have you had a BBQ recently? I recall lighting one once and feel the warm coals, seeing them glow, anticipating the food which we could cook. I then heard a...
Purl in the Field – Summer Edition
Our eighth edition of Purl in the Field from the Strathclyde #Methodist Circuit. Here we engage with those who may be housebound but in the medium of knitting, crochet and...
Slave : good or bad?
In Luke's description of how to prepare for the future he pointedly states that the disciples are slaves. (Luke 12:36) Is that how we think of ourselves? is being a...
Live in Christ
Being invited to a meal can be a pleasure or a necessity depending on who we are sharing it with. So imagine getting an invitation that reads: You are invited to...
What is prayer about?
"God does not exist to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God."Oswald Chambers In Luke 11:1-13 Jesus teaches the disciples the "Lord's...
Who are we?
In the current candidates' leadership contest we may hear claims of self-identification. How can people self-identify, as if they wouldn't actually know who they truly are? But that asks the...
Mardi Gla anyone?
The route for Mardi Gla 2022 Where can you mix pride with protest, absolute joy and sadness, those outside of the church and those within? On Saturday 16th July approximately...
Do Be Do Be Do?
Ah familiar territory, we know this story, don’t we? It’s that classic tale of which person do we associate with? In Luke 10:38-42 we hear of Martha and Mary: but...
The Good Muslim
Isn't life complicated sometimes? There’s that time when our paths diverge or bump into each other. It’s finding that opportunity to walk alongside many people, without leaving them on their...
Has anything changed?
https://youtu.be/Nq3x5frVHgM Considering Luke 10 and the sending out of the 70 or 72 disciples. I wonder if they were all men or perhaps couples? How are you feeling? If you...
Let God In
This week, I'm looking at the Hebrew Scriptures and in partiuclar 2 Kings 5:1-14. It is the story of Naaman being healed. A familiar story to many, or has time...
Oh wow!
Did you ever believe that this would occur? Err...No Possibly, as we look back, we might see instances where I could have discerned such an opportunity but nothing that clear...well...
Are we ready?
Do we wish to smite others like Sodom and Gomorrah? Pray for Ukraine... This week's story comes from Luke 9:51-62 and is all about whether we should smite others. Now,...
Have we missed the point?
You know the familiar story, you know the ending as soon as the story teller starts. Perhaps we might sometimes pause a while and reflect on certain key words. They...
E P O H
Paul has written this letter to those whom he did not know, probably had never met. It is a letter about faith - believing in hope. It is explaining to...
The next Chapter
Have we ever considered what happens when we finish perhaps a piece of craft work, some knitting or sewing, or we come to the end of one job, or at...
Inebriated
The last few weeks have seen a number of occasions with people inebriated. We had Celtic crowned champions of the Scottish League. The 'dear green place' turned green and white,...
In a foreign land
Here is Paul arriving in Philippi, Macedonia. As was a province of Greece now an independent country. Then it was controlled by the Romans, led by Caesar Augustus. He’s the...
Abide in me
When someone says goodbye it normally is over quickly. Jesus takes 6 chapters, according to John or whoever wrote the Gospel, to say his goodbye speech. In John 14:23-29 we...
Can love be self-giving?
We often encounter such passages about love in the Scriptures. We might often skim them as they are so familiar. Please don't, on this occasion as least. We are looking...
Sounds Baaa-Zarre!
As we look together at stories of ordinary people, both now and throughout history who have seen the power of God working in their lives, we will focus on conversation,...
Carrying huge loads
It’s been a bit slow going as we move through the story after Easter. Last week we were only with the disciples immediately after resurrection and then a week afterwards....
The disciples’ belief in resurrection
It might be quite 'normal' for Christians to quickly accept the resurrection but how might the disciples have felt about Jesus returning to life after his death. It's not the...
In behind closed doors
I wonder what it might be like to in a shelter, behind closed doors. When you are scared, confused, bewildered even. When the world you had always envisaged was there...
Did it really happen?
What would it really mean for our world if Jesus had truly risen? Most biographies spend at most 10 pages on the death of the individual. The Gospels expend great...
Hopeful Serving
A reflection given on Maundy Thursday about Hopeful Serving, based upon John 13: 1-17,31b-35. The date of Easter is always a mystery to me. But I can explain: take the...
Hope-full Journeys
Peace Ducks - one dressed in Ukrainian Colours! For some of us we may be embarking on hopeful journeys: to see loved ones for the first time in a few...
Silencing Us
In recent years we may have noticed the use of letters to reinforce identity of some kind. In America we had the use of Q to denote evidence that there...
Knit & Knatter Edition 6
Our regular bi-monthly Knit & Knatter newsletter, aimed primarily at those who are unable to access the online world, is now available. Knit & Knatter Newsletter 6 by Bob Stoner...
It can’t be sealed
Women in general have the sense of the person much more than men have. This means that they have a special mission, which is to reintroduce love, to give back...
Who are we?
Wow, here (Philippians 3:4-14) is someone trying to identify with everyone: He is trying to answer that question 'Who are we'? Paul is an insider, not an outcomer as they...
Let Us Eat
No I am not trying to advertise a firm that delivers subs, coffee and a pizza to your door. This has far reaching conclusions. Our story this week comes from...
On Receive
We scroll through our social media feeds, taking in information, the latest cat meme, and possibly checking the news or sports updates. We are on Receive. But let's think: You...
Anger or Victim?
On our Lenten journey we have observed Jesus being tempted - but where? We have heard Jesus describing a leader as a fox. Now there 's a bit of history....
Are we a member of the Vulpes Family?
Ok let’s hear it for the bad guys in town: not the Vulpes family but the Pharisees! What do you mean, they were ok? Well yes, they did invite Jesus...
Who doesn’t like a bit of milk and honey?
Last week we were up a mountain, but as we have entered into Lent, today we will hear of the start of a journey: for those coming out of exile,...
Do you know a hairy man?
Do you know a hairy man? No, they aren't missing as such, just could we recognise them if you saw a 'hairy man'? This week, there is a theme linking...
Listen to what?
What's the phrase: "we have two ears and one mouth, so let's use them in that order?". Wow, that's hard. Listen to what? Where are we? God in the midst...
What does blessed mean?
It's all up and down here in Luke's Gospel. We have been in Nazareth, in the Synagogue, and then over to some towns across Galilee, now we are near to...
A Never Ending Story in 73 seconds
If we had a familiar story and could retell it, without the old fashioned words, in just over a minute, would we have sufficient time? Here is a series of...
Abundance – what does it mean?
Luke's supposed reader, Theophilus or 'loved by God', may have already been hooked by Jesus moving through Capernaum, that the people were amazed at the teaching of Jesus - all...
What is love all about?
If there is one passage many people know about, it's 1 Corinthians 13: where it explains what love is all about. But it's isn't about romance but a telling off,...
Scrolling
We scroll so often these days. It seems that every device we have we can now scroll to find out more facts, things to discover, hopefully not to purchase yet...
Was this a wedding party or a work event?
Everyone loves a wedding. But, topically, was this really a wedding party or a works event? Was there cheese? Anyway what's so important about wine? Water into Wine? You might...
There must be something better
The New Year has arrived – did you celebrate its arrival? For many it was a time of deciding whether to get your glad rags on or wrap up in...
Melchior
Alleged homelands and arms of the three wise men/kings and their arms That's not my real name. I was given this in the 4th C by some story writers. They...
It could all start with a cuppa
It’s so beautiful, but also so complicated. No, I'm not talking about with a cuppa. That's always welcoming. In our New Testament passage this Sunday, we are talking about John...
2021 in searches
We might all have our own way of considering the year just passed. Staying in bed might be one way - although getting into this bunk bed might cause some...
The Stable leads us outwards
Wise folk following yonder Star? from An Unexpected Christmas These Christmas Carols, the readings may seem to re-tell a story of old. A story woven into the history of the...
A meaning to this season
As we approach the end of Advent for this year, our focus might be upon which presents have we yet to buy? Have we bought sufficient food? - the answer...
The smelly Shepherds?
Shepherds always get a prominent role in the Nativity Plays. They get to clutch those wooly sheep, and they are always clean. They wear tea towels on their head, with...
Are we Anxious
I recently called into one of the local hospitals to visit a Church member. I recall starting a prayer with Do not be anxious... Of course being in the hospital...
Joseph
Hi, I am Joseph. I have been away at Sepphoris, that new Roman city just north of Nazareth. It's huge. It's so busy they keep us there for days at...
Dawn is a-coming
Advent is that time of waiting but a dawn is a-coming. Do you recall that first light when the sun is still below the horizon but the sky is ablaze?...
Zech & Liz
To initiate thought and discussion; drawn from Stephen Cottrell's Walking Backwards to Christmas: Elizabeth is speaking :"I have always been waiting. My friends were always far more cleverer, more confident...
Advent Sunday
Advent First Sunday This, 1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13, is probably the first New Testament letter to have been written. I considered 'letters of the alphabet' previously in Advent. Paul is...
Party time!
Oh wow the last Sunday before we start Advent for this year. Time for a celebration? Could it be Party time? Perhaps it’s when important people might arrive, a celebrity...
Remember and Watch
This week we recall, we reflect on the tragedy of the Wars now beyond the memory of the vast majority of folk. We may see imagery from World War 1,...
Fine robes
This week, having just left Bartimaeus a few weeks ago, who is following everyone from Jericho to Jerusalem, we, too, are looking with fresh insight. What fresh perspective are we...
Are we close or there yet?
I recall asking that question in the car: "Are we there yet?" and being perplexed at my parents frustration in answering my plea. As a parent, I now know of...
What a place!
Wow, COP26 is fast approaching, the large exhibition tents are up and plans are being circulated for the divers to comb the River Clyde, which roads may be closed, and...
Harvest : Everyday
There is that annual service where we celebrate the harvest from each year. In the past, we might have had a few weeks off school to go out into the...
Camels or Elephants?
So after packing your bags for a long journey, the doorbell or the phone rings : can I sell you insurance, or have you had a car accident? Do you...
Was it all about marriage?
What might the Old Testament say? Within Genesis 2:18-24 we have the first of two creation myths. Yes we are in Chapter 2 and another one is in Chapter 1...
Creation101
When we read of the creation in Genesis what are our thoughts? Is it factually correct or a metaphorical story? This week's Bible Study has allowed us to explore this...
It’s not what a Church would do
It’s not what a Church would do, is it? There was quite a hullabulloo years gone back when Sunday trading arrived in England – I wonder whether it had the...
Which is it to be?
What with the Olympics and life in general, it is very much 'be the best'. What can we attain, can we reach higher than the next person? In today's texts:...
Who do you say that I am?
"Which one?" said one response, "the brown Jesus or the Republican version?" You can sense a certain political spin there. "What the guy from those misogynistic stone age 'reimagined' supernatural...
Rules Rules!
We have seen many Government signs over the past nigh on 2 years. That of Stay alert (never sure we could control a virus), and Hands Face Space, amongst others....
Where is God today?
Turnstiles photo by Vlad B on Unsplash I wonder if the Church is like a ticket gate, where there are spaces for people to move in and out, as circumstances dictate. It’s not...
What’s so important?
In Maslow's triangle the facets of life are organised in layers, with the most important on the bottom - that's wifi and battery isn't it? In my military survival training...
Scapegoating is acceptable?
The scapegoating of another seems a common place in today's politics. If we can ascribe something negative towards a group of people then we can make ourselves look better -...
Is the bread stale?
At the turn of the century – makes me sound old – I spent many a week in Italy, not on holiday but at work with the RAF. Given that...
Making room
Do you recall the Dursley's House? The one where Harry Potter was kept under the stairs - out of sight, out of mind. Yes, he was brought out for high...
Can I be?
In our journey through Mark's Gospel we often feel the pace of life, the immediacy of everything. There's not a pause, even time for Jesus to have a cuppa -...
What price peace?
Psalm 85 is one which captures the feelings of those Jews returning from Babylon – years in captivity, subjugated, largely demeaned but now free to return to their homeland. Their ‘Church’...
The alternative is now ok
Prior to March 2020, the wearing of a face covering would have been unthinkable for most of us. If you did mention it, we might think of Muslims wearing the...
Trips to the other side
Imagine the time when the Roman Empire was everywhere - it ruled with a rod of iron. They were the other side. Our lives would have been heavily constrained, one...
Where is the barrier today?
The Sunday coming up is Conference Sunday, the day that Conference seeks to ordain those who they have discerned a calling to ministry. This year the Conference will vote upon...
To the Other Side
There's been much consternation with the breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth from Ullapool to Stornoway. It crosses from the mainland to the Isle of Lewis, across the other side...
The obvious issue
I am struck by how many people use the Internet to communicate with others but we possibly don't understand how it works. That ability to really communicate, get the message...
Voldemort – don’t speak of it
He who shall not be named In the Harry Potter series of films, books etc there was one character whose name was not to the spoken : Voldemort. It was...
What has just happened?
We have had Elections; then the opening of our houses to others or not depending upon where you live – talk about a postcode lottery; we have had Pentecost and...
Welcome the dove
According to many, a multitude of doves is known as a dole, dole or flight. As we come to Pentecost - fifty days, 7 weeks, the 7th Sunday after the...
What does this mean?
As wend our way back from the recently opened shops, we may weave past the discarded fast food containers, glance up at the traffic as we cross the road and...
Knit & Knatter Worship
Here we link the hobbies of knitting, drawing, painting, cross-stitch, flower arranging, cooking and sewing plus knattering in our worship of our loving God. You can see what we weave...
Connections
I am pondering whether after dinner, Jesus has surprised many – well all really – with the washing of their feet, then he has given them a new commandment, and...
Lover or friend?
There are umpteen websites available to offer advice on how to say whether we have a lover or a friend. Human interaction is one of the most complex arenas, so...
Inclusivity: for whom?
After taking some time to reflect upon the Good Shepherd last week, we note the suggestion - well more like a direct reference - to Jesus' call to more than...
Go Large!
We have moved away from the room where the disciples had secured, protecting themselves from others. We are now out in the fields, the sunshine on our back. You hungry?...
Amidst the fields of gold
As I reflect upon the Good Shepherd passage (John 10:11-18) I imagine that I am walking amidst the fields, possibly not yet of gold, but of new shoots. The soil...
Do we have any fish?
On our post-Resurrection journey, last week we considered John's account of Jesus meeting with the doubt-ridden disciples in a locked room. Here in Luke's account describes an extra journey, that...
What would have been our response….doubt?
Holy Week is one of reflection. What of that pain in Gethsemane, the word meaning pressing, the pressure that Jesus had to bear? The horrific tragedy of Good Friday and...
Have we misinterpreted Judas’ betrayal?
Introduction Judas is traditionally equated with the demonic, but may we see Judas afresh as in the ballad below? Whereas some authors may write his name it is often replaced...
How can you wash from six feet away?
When it was common place for travellers to be welcomed to each others homes - chance would be a fine thing today - it would be the hospitable thing to...
Listen carefully – that wasn’t thunder
In the last two weeks we have looked at the Cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem (or was it?) and then we looked at why God so loves us. It's...
For God so loved…are we comfortable?
Ah familiar territory here...John 3:16 and all that. For God so loved...are we comfortable? What's been happening? From a blog teaching about Nicodemus Our NT passage this week is John...
Why did Jesus get angry?
Yes you know the one, fair hair, blue eyes, even has birds that fly around his head, all goodness and kind - yup, That's Jesus. So who is this? Why...
What choices have we made?
What changes have there been over the past year. We have had a number of lockdowns where …we have looked to get fit, enjoyed too much food perhaps, found some...
Be a doormat?
Often Church folk are told that they should turn the other cheek, and love your enemies. It's quite a simple adage, possibly not so simple to apply to ourselves. But...
How is this like a re-boot?
Lent has arrived for 2021. We thought 2020 was a rough one and now 2021 doesn't see to have been given a proper re-boot - to use a computer term....
Let’s raise the roof!
Jesus has been creating quite a storm. Imagine someone, who has no known authority such as a Rabbi, or Pharisee might possess, starting to heal people across Galilee. As we...
That voice booms again
As we have move closer to Lent, the readings for this Sunday seems to jump a tadge, from Mark 1:29-39 to suddenly Mark 9:2-9. We have gone from the healing...
All within 24 hours
In these days of lockdown, 24 hours feels an age. So it may be surprising to find that Mark appears to record Jesus' activity all within 24 hours! Here, we...
The start of the journey
Mark's job, apparently, was to provide us with a perspective on the journey of Jesus. However, even this early on in the Gospel, (Mark 1:14-20) we have lost a huge...
Can anything good come out of Glasgow?
Well after a lengthy exploration of John the Baptist's work last week we are now nipping over to the Gospel of John yet again: John 1:43-51. We are moving from...
Why did John baptise Jesus?
This week's lectionary reading focusses upon a text we have partially considered during Advent. There, we wondered about pancakes in the desert. Now we'll focus upon the baptism (Mark 1:4-11)....
Light and Darkness
I awoke this morning to the lights not working - good start. At least the alarm clock worked....;-) A quick check of the fuse box and all was well -...
Which Nativity should we choose ? (Part 2)
We approach the last week of Advent for 2020, when time rushes onwards, with sprouts to peel, sausages to wrap with bacon, and a bird to be stuffed. Perhaps that...
Which Nativity should we choose? (Part 1)
Each year we are confronted with a Nativity scene from a number of sources. Is it ok to have a blended Nativity story, or should the story be read from...
Where is the light shining?
Hey, week 3 of Advent 2020, for some we can see the light at the end of the tunnel of Covid through the imminent release of the vaccine to the...
A fresh start perhaps?
I know that Hogmanay is a few weeks away, the New Year may beckon but the Church has got ahead of us once again. The New Year for Bible Readings...
We have heard the message, now live the story
"A long time ago, in a land far far away there was new hope. It was a period civil unrest, of viral infections, striking from the unknown...:Paraphrasing from Star Wars...
Baa; which side would you wish to be on??
When we come to Sheep vs Goat, many of us have an idea what this might mean. There are TV programmes which mention how to gather sheep, yet rarely similar...
Let’s make money!
The Prosperity Gospel has arrived and it's cool to be making money. Investments will only increase and if we are doing this for the Church, what's not to like? Let's...
Restricted Numbers at Weddings : Wise or Foolish?
We have seen it all. This pandemic has caused the authorities to limit the number of people who can attend weddings. But as we read the parable, which character would...
Let’s offer some encouragement from the very start
Do you recall after a driving lesson or a after a test the teacher asks: "How did you think that went?" I'd close both eyes expecting them to respond "well,...
How long is our fringe?
When the pandemic struck, shortages started to arise: first it was toilet paper, then yeast, then hair trimmers. When would we get a haircut? Now, people may not be able...
When they go low we go high
Jesus is being put on the ropes. He's upset the Chief Priests and Scribes with the disturbing the of the money-making ways of the Temple, he's described the Kingdom of...
Tax was always a thorny issue
President Trump has declared that not paying taxes makes him smart. We have heard of large firms that have minimal tax burdens despite huge profits, due to loopholes that the...
What do you wear to a Wedding?
I didn't have to think much about what I wore to the wedding. I had a uniform, so I put on my 'best blue'. Do you think we look ok?...
Who is their anger against?
It seems that we are in a bit of a rut. This week's lectionary reading (Matthew 21:33-36 : Proper 22A or OT27) contains yet another parable about a vineyard. What...
Over promising or under achieving?
The British Government is accused of promising a 'world-beating' testing regime, but seemingly the results haven't matched up to their aspirations. We, perhaps, have said that we'd do this or...
A Happy Way to live?
Have you had a pay rise recently? Not something we might hear that often. It causes angst in some as we hear of a negotiated pay rise above inflation for...
The Community Returning to Flourish (Part 2)
No disrespect to some locations, but we have been places where it's original claims didn't quite match up. For some today, the reason to leave is forced upon them/ I'm...
Do we see the wood for the trees?
Have you looked at some visual illusions? How they allow our mind to see something different to what is actually there. If we only stopped and looked carefully, we say......
A Community Returning to Flourish (Part 1)
As we start to reflect, let us possibly consider what we look like today - possibly with a face mask. For many, the face mask can be a uncomfortable addition...
The Need For Conflict Resolution?
Jesus has arrived in Capernaum. This fishing village, nestled on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. The village came to be known as Jesus' "own city" (Matthew 9:1). It...
What is the contemporary Cross if we have to take one up?
This week's New Testament reading focusses upon Matthew 16:21-28. It contains that phrase 'take up thy cross' dependent whether you like the old English versions. What might 'taking up the...
Who am I to you?
We may have possibly recently gone to a Zoom meeting where one of the first questions may be: "Can you just say who you are?". How might you respond? Often...