Here’s how we are going to get along.
I think that I’m with you Father K, there is a time and place for everything and a service where the problems of a problematic passage can’t be addressed easily is not the place to read it, lectionary be hanged.
My favourite bits of the Bible are the Song of Songs (which, in the medieval period, was interpreted by both Jews and Christians as an allegory of the soul’s relationship with God); the book of Ruth; the book of Esther; the story of David and Jonathan; Amos & Micah. Most of the New Testament leaves me completely cold, and some of it is actually offensive, especially the account of the silver-smiths of Ephesus, and the way that Paul appropriates pagan poetry in the marketplace of Athens.
I think the solution to your problem is not to read the “difficult” bits without some sort of homily about a better way to understand them, and how to read the Bible in general as a collection of texts situated in a particular historical situation.
I know, such a dull headline isn’t it. However, sometimes we need to express our support and appreciation for the things our bishops do and the things our bishops say. For example, just before he went off to Lambeth, +Idris (our bishop and primus) said this: “The vision of our communion is that ‘The truth…
Time for a quick list of things that people have recently been searching for which have brought them to this blog: megalomaniacs in the church episcopate of all believers multifaith chaplain uniform brown bridesmaid slippers anglican bishop frock coat gaiters gold bridesmaid shoes kilt and bowler hat how do you baptise someone when you dip…
I’ve refrained from commenting much on the Lambeth Conference as there has not been anything official to react to and media reports do not give a good flavour of what is essentially a closed event. However, now we have a published address from Rowan Williams. At first sight, it seems reasonable enough. Indeed, he is…
[The audio of this sermon can be heard on this page – the text is Genesis 29:15-28]. I have to confess, that I’ve quite enjoyed preaching on the readings that we have been getting in the book of Genesis. All human life, it seems is there. I preached a couple of weeks ago about how…
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