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How to understand the Trinity

John 16:12-15 Today is Trinity Sunday It is the climax of the festivals: Good Friday and Easter, Ascension and Pentecost It is what all those feasts are pointing to The revelation of the fire of love that is at the heart of God And the life changing encounter with the three in one. And now, for the next 20 or so weeks of the church’s year, we have the opportunity to live out the Trinity. Trinity Sunday is when we reflect on the revelation of the mystery at the heart of God. It is a mystery – not in the sense of a puzzle to be solved (I love a murder mystery) or an ignorance to be overcome. Rather it is a mystery of awesomeness, a reality that is so profound that we will never understand it and so big that we can never encompass it. Indeed the more that we encounter this mystery, the bigger we realise it is, the more we discover that there is to explore, and the greater will be our wonder. There is so much, especially in John, about the relationship of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. T...
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Seeing the glory of God and the 'greater works'.

John 14:8-17 Thank you, God, for sending Jesus; Thank you, Jesus, that you came; Holy Spirit, please now teach us More about his precious name. Philip said to Jesus, ‘Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied’ (John 14:8). The audio of the talk can be found here Philip is asking to see the source of all honour and glory and power - the God of Glory. It is a big prayer. Only a very few people had seen the glory of God. Moses and Isaiah had seen the glory of God. The people of God had seen the glory of God, the shekinah of God, in the cloud which led them through the wilderness. They saw it when the glory of God filled the temple that Solomon had built. It was so real that nobody could enter it. Peter, James and John saw the glory of God in the transfigured Jesus on the mountain. And Paul later mentions a vision which he is given, which is so wonderful he cannot express it in words. Philip is asking Jesus, he is praying that he might see the glory of God. People have been transfo...

It is time to stop lying on our spiritual mats

John 5.1-9 A link to an audio of this talk 1. Jesus sees this man. That is important. There are many people who are sick by the pool by the sheepgate. But Jesus chooses this one man. He has been ill for 38 years. We are not told what his illness is, but he obviously cannot move himself easily. And Jesus sees him . We’ve noticed that before. In John 1, Nathaniel comes to Jesus, and Jesus says to him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” It is a bit enigmatic, but it seems that Jesus is saying something that is incredibly significant for Nathanael. He had noticed Nathaniel and he knew Nathaniel. It is enough for Nathaniel to make the pretty dramatic declaration: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:47-49) What is interesting in this passage is that whereas Nathaniel is told about Jesus and comes to Jesu...

Love one another

  John 13:31-35 Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another”. (John 13:34)  The audio of this talk can be found here It is a strange saying because the command to love is not a new command.  It is there in the Old Testament In Leviticus 19:18, the people of God are commanded to love their neighbour, the member of their community: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the LORD”. And now Jesus commands his followers to love 'one another', the community that is now centred on him.  So how can Jesus say that this is a new command? Some say that up to now, in John’s gospel, the great command has been to believe, to put our trust in Jesus as the Son of God. And now Jesus says that he is giving them a new command. Not just the command to believe but the command to love – to love one another. ...