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A few days before his execution, Jesus had plenty to say! It seems that Jesus spent the whole day teaching, from early morning till late at night (Mark 11:20– 14:10). And when the sun went down his earthly, public teaching was done (though he still had plenty to say just to his disciples). He spokeContinue reading “A Long Day”

Mark 11:15-19 tells us that on Monday, Jesus was pretty angry as he overturned tables and drove people from the Temple. The fact that they were buying and selling wasn’t the issue. The money-changers and the traders were there to enable the worship of God. It was the corruption and exploitation of ordinary people asContinue reading “Motivated by Anger”

The crowds that lined the road as Jesus rode by cheered with joyful expectation, waving their palm branches and shouting ‘Hosanna’. Among them were political enthusiasts who thought that Jesus was at last going to fulfil their hopes and usher in the great Messianic age. I wouldn’t have been surprised to have found among themContinue reading “Palm Sunday – Surrender Your Agenda”

All four gospels could be described as ‘Edited Highlights of the Life, Ministry, Death and Resurrection of Jesus’. Each of them give most space to the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. In the run up to Easter I’ll be offering a reflection on something that happened on each of those days, asking “WhatContinue reading “From Saturday to Saturday : A Journey through Holy Week”

We’re into our second week of ‘lockdown’. Some say that there’s a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, others aren’t quite so sure. Whatever the truth, the fact is, light or no light, we’re in this for quite a while yet and we have to make the most of it. I’ve beenContinue reading “Making the Most of Things”

This morning Helen asked me what today’s date was. I had to stop and think. In fact, I had to work out what day of the week it was as well! With all our usual routines shot to bits, it’s all to easy to lose track of time. Because of the way my brain works,Continue reading “What’s the time?”

It’s been a steep learning curve. Yesterday I preached my first sermon using Facebook Live as my ‘pulpit’. And we’ve had leadership team meetings using Zoom. All this is part of the new ‘normal’ in terms of being and doing church from home. Yesterday morning I anchored my message in the Old Testament book ofContinue reading “That was different!”

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me wasContinue reading “Behind the scenes …”

At a conference during the final year of the twentieth century, the speaker posed the question “What, according to the Bible, was the first human crisis?”. My mind instinctively turned to Genesis 3 and the human fall into sin. But, although it was the answer our speaker expected, it wasn’t the answer he wanted. OurContinue reading “The first human crisis?”

Those who know me well know that I have a love-hate relationship with Christmas. So much so that anyone overheard mentioning ‘Christmas’ before the end of October was asked to put a pound in the ‘Season-After-Advent-Box’. Now why am I breaking my own rules and risking personal bankruptcy! It’s because my Bible-In-One-Year readings this morningContinue reading “The Season After Advent”