Sermons
We always start with a little apocalypse, that’s what we’ve just read. So, I’m wondering, what’s the scariest apocalypse you can imagine? Is it zombies? Vampires? That’s what’s in the pop culture at the moment; lots of movies and TV series about the end of the world being brought about by vampires or a virus that creates the undead. For some of us it might be world domination by a foreign power. Something like Russia, North Korea, or the USA – I find that just as terrifying.
As far as we know, Catherine of Alexandria is not a historical person. Some scholars believe that her story is a combination of lots of young women from the time which have been put together to create one great hero of the faith from whom we can draw inspiration and encouragement.
Catherine is the patron saint of:
Scholars
Young women
People who work with wheels
The St Catherine’s United Football Club
This Parish!
Tears are a theme this week, as we engage with the celebration of All Saints’ Day. In Isaiah and Revelation we are told that “tears will be wiped away,” and “be no more.” In John, though, we see many tears. There are Mary’s tears, the tears of the people who had come to mourn with Mary and Martha, and of course, the tears of Jesus.
As I was reading it over and over during the week the themes of empathy and compassion’s role in action, and the power of love to overcome barriers, are what kept niggling at me.
This is the third time that Jesus foretells his death and resurrection in the gospel of Mark. We’ve already heard the first two this year, and each time disciples really don’t want the bar of it. The first time that Jesus foretells his death and resurrection they are in Caesarea Philippi. Peter has just correctly said who Jesus is, the Messiah. Jesus then predicts his death and resurrection and Peter says, “No! Stop saying that you can’t say that!” And Jesus says, “Get behind Satan. Because you have your mind set on human things not on Godly things.”
Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning’s service. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service. Only three people out of the 10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food….NO ONE in the church gave him change...
I’m currently readings Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And I am noticing similarities and differences between the creation story in Frankenstein and the creation story of our Judeo-Christian tradition.
In our tradition, God creates out of delight and because it is what Love does.
Frankenstein creates because he becomes obsessed with scientific power, his need to understand creation, and his own prowess
We are on our last Sunday for the Season of Bread. For five weeks we have been travelling through John chapter 6. At the beginning I said that John is telling us who Jesus is. That’s the purpose of this chapter, who is Jesus? Five times he uses the term I am. Which recalls to us the name that God gave Moses at the burning bush. I am who I am (or I will be who I will be, in the Hebrew). John tells us what we must do. We must eat we must drink. Gnaw on the body of Christ. And why? What is Jesus’ mission?
Last week we sat with fresh bread and honey and meditated on what it might be like to be starving in the desert having just fled slavery. The fresh bread smelled amazing, and the drizzle of honey activated our brains and we were alerted to something that gives us pleasure as well as a short burst of energy. Drawing from the meditation, we have a little sense of what it is like to wake from a moment of hopelessness and desperation to be provided a loaf of fresh bread and a jug of sweet, fresh water.
Trinity is a deep part of my faith and yet it is always difficult to talk about because it is so counter to our lived experience with our time and space bound bodies. So, I’m going to tell you a couple of stories; one to illustrate the Trinity and one to illustrate the importance of that mystical truth.
We were joined by the Reverend Greg Jenks. Here is the link to his sermon.
