The place of belonging that we are looking for is found when we find where Jesus belongs.
An Open Table where Love knows no borders
An Open Table where Love knows no borders
Sermons on John
The particularity of Jesus’s identity scandalises our tribal sensibilities, but our attempts to erase such details in favour of a more “universal” truth inevitably fail to convey the good news of God with us.
We live in uncertain times, unsure of the future shape of the church, but Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us, not to give us certainty, but to guide and sustain us in the uncertainty.
Living out the unity we have in Christ, is more difficult and more important when we are at odds with one another.
We come to be followers of Jesus, not when we believe certain facts about him, but when we hear his voice and follow what it says (even if we don’t know where the voice comes from).
Into the surreal fears and horrors of our murderous world comes the surreal delight of God’s resurrection laughter and the promise of life.
God’s love is passionate, attentive, tender and ardent. Jesus the bridegroom comes and woos God’s people in every generation.
A sermon on John 1: 1-18 by Audrey Kateena A video recording of the whole liturgy, including this sermon, is available here A transcript of the sermon will be available here soon
If we are to call Christ a King and still remain faithful to him, we must begin with the subversion of the very concept of kingship that Jesus points to when he is questioned by Pilate.
Jesus offers life in all its fullness, but many would rather settle for the odd snack rather than the full banquet.
The indiscriminate ways Jesus shared and spoke about food broke the rules of his society and the rules of many churches down to this day.
The recognition that in Jesus we see the exact likeness of the Father rescues us from fear and slavery and invites us to live as the beloved children of God.
If we surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we lose some of our inhibitions about social conformity and are liberated to break down the boundaries that keep people apart.
Jesus calls us to a Resurrection Imagination, praying for courage and discernment on how to use your resources until the dream of a world where there are no poor among us is fulfilled.
It is in the midst of our tears that we discover that Jesus is not dead, but more alive than ever.
Christian hope is rooted in suffering that does not remain unanswered. God answers in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ensuring that everything will not only be fine, it will be better.
When theology and discipleship follow the path of God, they take us beyond an obsession with borders to a new engagement with the kingdom of God, present and tangible in all the earth.
In determining our church’s way forward, we need to discern who we exist to serve, and it shouldn’t just be ourselves.
As important as our responses and decisions are, before we know, we are known. Before we understand, we are understood. Before we say ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’ is said to us.
If you’re looking for wisdom, healing, practical solutions, look to Jesus, because church leaders constantly fail when they do any more than point to Jesus.