• Biblical role models for marriage – any suggestions?

    We had such an interesting discussion last night at the cathedral’s LGBT Group (aka Gay Club).

    The conversation was about marriage, looking at it from a biblical, social and personal point of view rather than talking about the current attempts to change the law.

    The question that we really found interesting was how many positive role models of married life we could find in the bible.

    The truth is, we struggled far more than we imagined we would.

    Suggestions included:

    • Ruth and Boaz – but we know far more about them before they were wed than after
    • Mary and Joseph – again we don’t know much about their married life apart from the fact that they lost their son on a day out
    • Adam and Eve – well, we are in the mythic here and there’s a lot of squabbling about blame to wade through before we can really talk about relationships.

    So, your suggestions please. Can you think of good role models for marriage from the bible? Who would you nominate?

5 responses to “Sermon – 16 February 2014”

  1. Jimmy Avatar

    “The pack mentality of Episcopal collegiality”
    Practice this line a little-did you?

    1. Kelvin Avatar

      Trots off the tongue.

  2. Fr. Ron Smith Avatar

    Thank you, Father. I enjoy your prompts to the Church at large – to come out of its chrysalis and bring the Good News of Christ to a needy world. I’ve taken the liberty of putting this article on my own web-site – kiwianglo – I hope you don’t mind. My response to the Sunday Gospel was much like your own. Agape, Fr.Ron

  3. Lawrence Rosenfeld Avatar
    Lawrence Rosenfeld

    I convene the Committee of Lay Persons who support our parish’s Seminarians. We are, in part, tasked with giving feedback when s/he preaches.

    We “did” Matt 5:21-37 at Bible Study Wednesday evening under the leadership of our bright, energetic, capable and well-prepared exchange seminarian from Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and then she preached on Sunday. So by the time Fr. Kelvin’s sermon reached my in-tray, I had had the better part of a week to wrestle with this difficult passage – and the advantage of much discussion about it.

    My personal feeling is that I want to come away from Mass or Bible study with a renewed and possibly enhanced sense of how my faith informs my everyday life and my relationships with others. Turns out that over the past month our little neighborhood has been the scene of a certain amount of conflict. The irony is that the prime source of the conflict has to do with some of our neighbors trying to “build community,” in ways that have actually driven a wedge between them and others.

    Thinking about the Gospel reading (and the lectionary bit from I Corinthians) in the context of my life away from Church has been incredibly profound. Thank you so much for your sermon which added dimension to my ruminations and allowed me to keep the inner dialogue ongoing and fresh.

  4. Fr Steve Avatar
    Fr Steve

    As a preacher I was pleased to “hear your voice”
    The content was of course ‘spot on’
    Very much appreciate your public ministry (mine is drawing to a close) and wish you well with the Rectorial Election.

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