Christmas is just around the corner! Advent starts a new season and new year for the Christian Church next week.
Today we see Jesus as the ‘King of the Jews’ on a Cross, from which He still speaks words of forgiveness and grace to those who were mocking Him, all could hear. Jesus had qualities very
different to earthly kings.
Many passages were specifically written for a time, place and particular group of people.
We must not hastily translate the literal understanding into our present time.
Looking at the metaphorical meaning we can decipher what God’s desire for us is for the present day.
His desire here is to witness to the goodness and love of God – words of comfort for those in their own apocalypse!
Is there more than this life? Jesus had a series of confrontations with the hierarchy about the future.
Jewish people had struggled – justice was lacking – so resurrection thinking emerged.
Resurrected people are called to love this life in the best way each one can and trust God in the life to come.
If you are not angry – then you are not paying attention! Look at all the injustice around us and the world.
God is there to offer relationships and not a solution.
The just, shall live by faithfulness and trust.
Joel is telling of terrible times, full of doom, famine and plaque, consequences of disobedience to God.
Paul shows us God never abandons us – the Spirit is always ready to empower us, to bring healing and gives words for the glory of God and to share the Spirit wherever we go.
Jesus is at it again, offering a mysterious and perplexing teaching about ‘Prayer’.
There are many ways at looking at this parable. The Widow teaches us about God and ourselves and it teaches the way of Jesus.
Sometimes we may be the widow, sometimes the judge!.
“The real joy of living is knowing that life is a gift.” Rev Don Affleck.
Of the ten Lepers that Jesus healed only one, a Samaritan (a foreigner), came back to express his thanks.
God offers us all the wholeness and fullness of life, are we fully appreciative of what we have been given and remember to always be thankful?
Dates in our times and lives stand out like milestones. Dates can alter our lives so they will never be the same again.
Isaiah wrote many prophesies of the coming Messiah. He caught a glimpse of God’s plan!
800 years later, Jesus says “Today your scripture is revealed”. Have you met the Messiah?
David Barrow calls us in the Uniting Church to be the “salt of the Earth” and embody public, practical discipleship that challenges market-driven culture and builds communities rooted in justice, generosity, and hope.
Through community organising—churches, unions, and civic groups—he urges faithful, to strategic action that reflects Christ’s radical love and counters “empire” or market values, citing that the church must be “the conscience of the state”, engaging politically and prophetically in the world to protect creation and uphold justice for all.
Pastor Kim offers an excellent exploration of a difficult parable in which risks and sacrifices are
needed in a tricky situation.
Alluding to the Kingdom of God, where there are not always even matches or perfect balances, but in which grace abounds as we hear God’s message “Maybe you don’t think you have enough or are enough. Give me what you can and come as you are. You can start afresh!”
