• Sermon – the Maker, Troublemaker, Peacemaker

  19/08/2013

  Here’s what I said on Sunday in the pulpit about that tricky gospel reading.
  

  Not peace, but a division

  Sometimes one reads the Gospel in church and everyone nods knowingly. You can tell that people think that what is being said is wise and good.

  When we tell the story of the Good Samaritan, perhaps. Or the Prodigal Son. Or the stories of his response when people brought him those who were sick.

  We hear Jesus being clever, holy and gracious. We see him healing and enlightening and blessing.

  And we approve.

  We approve of this Saviour for he is made in the image of all our hopes and our dreams.

  This is a God whom we can like. He would not be out of place in our company. We would be honoured to take him home for tea.

  But the truth is, Christianity is about something a little more than this. It is about following a Saviour who sometimes turns around and says things that we find tricky, difficult or bewildering. (more…)

Previous Posts

• Millport

  12/09/2006

  Just back from a meeting in Millport. Cumbrae was bedrowsled with mist. It must have been the Millport Country & Western Music festival last week, I think – or perhaps it is still on. The lampposts were bedecked with US and Confederacy flags. I can’t help but think that Millport is surreal enough without this.

• Listen again

  11/09/2006

  For 7 days, the service that was broadcast from St Mary’s yesterday can be heard from the BBC’s webpages.

• Sermon for BBC Radio 4

  10/09/2006

  In the name of God, Creator, Saviour and Spirit. The context for the conversation between Jesus and this Gentile woman whose name goes unrecorded, was a place quite different to our own. The two of them met in a place called Tyre – the same city in southern Lebanon which has featured so often in…

• L'Arche Event

  09/09/2006

  The cathedral is open today and tomorrow for an art and craft sale which has been organised by folk associated with L’Arche. The pics on the walls are lovely and it is good to have the place open for people to drop in. Getting the building open for more hours per week is a part…