Throwing away the cloak

Mark 10:46-52 Reflection I had just bought a pair of sandals and they were great.  I really dislike shopping so when I buy shoes, I expect them to last for many years but unfortunately, one of the straps on these sandals broke within the first week.  My plan was to take back the sandals then … Read more

The tale of the man who had it all and nothing…

Mark 10:17-31 Reflection There was once a very happy young man.  Everything was going his way and when he thought something was going against his plans, these unexpected complications, turned out to be better anyways.  He was good looking – one of those people I’d not want to double date with because I’d be stuck … Read more

The spirit of truth

John 14:15-21 Reflection There used to be a show on T.V. that I really appreciated.  It provided a wonderful window into the human condition with it’s philosophical and even theological allegories.  It was a show that would have been at home as a teaching tool in the best of universities.  You of course by know … Read more

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Isaiah 65:17-25   Reflection How do you feel about change?  Do you cringe away from anything you don’t already know or leap for joy at the idea of an ever transforming world?  I suppose for many of us, it’s not really the change that we might fear but instead fear of losing something.  I myself … Read more

Come as children to God

Mark 9:30–37 Jesus uses a child to illustrate something of God’s realm.   Reflection I have a confession to make.  I have a guilty pleasure.  There’s one TV show that I like to watch, which is quite unbecoming of a minister called, “Game Of Thrones.”  While it’s at first glance, just a violent adventure series, … Read more

Who do you say Jesus is?

Mark 8:27–38 Reflection It had been a good day up until then. We were still riding a wave of joy from some of the things we’d seen, some of the things we’d heard him say and then the tone turned serious. He stopped us all in our tracks and he asked, “who do people say … Read more

Who do you see in the mirror?

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?  Would you like a magic mirror?  If you had one, what would you like it to say, the unvarnished truth or what you want to hear?  I think I’d like a diplomatic mirror – one that tells me the truth but can also see … Read more

You are the creator of your reality!

Mark 6:1-13 There’s a very old and famous painting from China called the vinegar tasters. Three men are standing around a vat, dipping their fingers in the vinegar to have a taste. These three are representations of the founders of China’s three main religions – it’s an allegory, how the vinegar tastes represents how these … Read more

Confronting the demon “Well Enough Alone”

Mark 1:21–28 Do you believe in demons? It’s not a completely fair question because we may understand the word differently. Maybe you do or don’t believe in the red skinned, big fanged creatures that come from hell to interfere and play havoc on human life. Maybe you think of those who inhabit human souls, waiting … Read more

The story (and hidden story) of Jonah

Part 1: The story of Jonah No one liked a Ninevite. How could they? Nineveh was the largest, most domineering city in the known world and it was the capital of the Assyrian Empire – the very empire that had destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Terrible, horrible people. Even God was angry with this … Read more