Based on Luke 16. 19-31.
Have you ever met someone who was doing something not because they cared about it, but because of how it would benefit them? I’m not so much talking about the world of work here as the world of relationships. Have you ever come across someone who was friends with someone else because they had a great house with a pool or because they had contacts which would benefit them. In the world of films I’m thinking of Mother Gothel in Tangled who doesn’t care about Rapunzel, who she has kidnapped and locked in a tower, but only pretends to care because she needs the magic of her hair to keep her youth. So she pretends to be a loving caring mother so that this girl will continue to provide her with eternal youth.
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A sermon preached in the wake of the death of HM the Queen. It's based on 2 Corinthians 4.16-5.4 and John 6.35-40.
As a society we’re not the best at talking about death are we. We prefer not to think about it, and when it comes close, when a loved one dies, we often try to push on and not really deal with it. But now we, the whole country, and many other parts of the world have found ourselves staring death in the face with the death of HM the Queen. We have wall to wall news coverage, outpourings of both affection and grief across the nation. There are some who knew they’d be sad when this day came, some who are surprised at the wave of emotions they’re feeling, and others for whom this doesn’t really affect them, and still others for whom this has brought back the emotions of recent or longer term losses. But in loss and death we are left with three things. Based on Luke 14. 25-33.
Jesus says many hard things, many things we find difficult, which challenge us. But hearing Jesus calling us to hate people, it’s not a word we expect to hear on his lips. Moreso his calling of us to hate those who are meant to be our closest loved ones, the ones dearest to us. What’s going on? Do you remember the 70’s track ‘how deep is your love’ by the Bee Gees? I won’t sing it. But that’s the question at the heart of today’s gospel reading, how deep is your love? Does your love for Jesus outstrip all other loves? Is it deeper than all others? |
AuthorAn Anglican Curate in my 20's I was raised in an Anglican Church, went to a Youth Club run by an Evangelical Church, attended a Baptist Church while at Uni and was a member of a New Monastic Community after graduating. As such my faith has been influenced by these experiences and traditions into what I hope is a more rounded viewpoint. Archives
September 2022
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