Last Sunday of Advent

Readings Psalms 80:1-8, (and 18-end) OT Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16 NT Reading: Romans 1:1-7 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-end I didn't have the opportunity to visit a liturgical church this week (and indeed have not been able to for a long time, and who knows what the new year will bring? It does not seem to be a …

Second Sunday of Advent year A

Psalm: 72:1-7, 18-19 OT Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10 NT Reading: Romans 15:4-13 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Very belatedly now, I'm looking at the lectionary readings for the second Sunday in Advent. Often it is quite a challenge to perceive a connection between the readings. In this instance, there is the repeated refrain of Christ as 'the root …

Romans 5:1-5

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, …

New Cycle, New Year

The Jewish year ends and begins again with the festival of Simchat Torah - rejoicing in the Torah, which took place at the beginning of the week. I didn't manage to get round to posting anything for the High Holidays of Rosh haShanah, Yom Kippur or Sukkot, as we were moving house. But a new …

How to pray when life hurts?

This year seems to have been one upset, catastrophe, tragedy after another. I won't dwell on the particulars. But this verse came up in my daily readings and I felt an immediate identification with it: "If the LORD be with us, why hath all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our …

Matthew 28:19, 20 – The Great Commission

I'm sorry to have not managed to post this before now, this was from last Sunday's sermon at the Pentecostal church. The beginning of the service was taken up by testimonies, one in particular which was very inspiring, about listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. From my point of view as a skeptical …