Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,  and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’   I love music and art. To wander through an art gallery, or to hear some beautiful piece […]

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  “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”   Thus begins the Gospel of Mark’s […]

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‘A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter.’   Thus begins T. S. Eliot’s wonderful poem entitled “The Journey of the Magi” on their way to visit the Christ […]

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Happy New Year I was visiting at my sister’s this week in the days after Christmas and we had a baby among us.  A three month old baby boy called Connor who had cheeks that were just built to grab onto.  He slept a lot of the time that he was with us and when […]

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   Merrry Christmas. How many times have you heard these words over the past few weeks?  As we come closer and closer to December 25th, we become emboldened to wish those we meet a Merry Christmas.  Despite the secular context in which we live, “Merry Christmas” persists and there are those who come to its […]

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    Well, it’s December 17.   Which means that we are one week and one day away from Christmas.  We are no longer at the beginning of the Advent season, but nor are we at its end.   Christmas is coming.  But we’re not there yet.   It is interesting for us to ponder […]

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  O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, So that the mountains would quake at your presence – As when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— To make your name known to your adversaries, So that the nations might tremble at your presence!   Today’s suggested reading […]

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Have you come to this place seeking God?   I hope so.   In fact, I hope that seeking God is one of the great priorities of your existence.   And I hope that one of the great reasons why all of us continue to live and work in the church is with the desire […]

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We are approaching the end of the Christian year, and the end of our systematic readings in Matthew’s gospel suggested in the lectionary. You may have noticed that things are starting to get a bit harsh.  In the flow of the gospel story as Matthew tells it, the stakes are getting higher now that Jesus […]

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  There is a lot of beauty and goodness in life.   Times of joy and passion; times of peace, happiness, goodness, and laughter.  Times when we discover new interests and have opportunities to exercise our creativity and our imagination. Times when dreams are fulfilled, when hopes are realized, when relationships are in good shape, […]

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