Talks, Sermons and Reflections

1. THE GIFT OF LANGUAGE From an evolutionary perspective language is unnecessary. Animals can reproduce, warn, threaten, urge each other on, be intimate, play, express hunger without conceptual language. And yet we have a language which enables us to ask why, to dream, to despair (would suicide as a deliberately chosen act be possible without language?). Language is gratuitous. It is a gift. Without language we can share ourselves with another. With language we can share our souls. a. God uses a word to bring that which is not, into being Genesis 1:3  ‘And God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light’ Hebrews 11:3  ‘By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible’ b. God uses language to speak to us: to declare his laws, wisdom, promises Psalm 119:9,105 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Your w...

Snow How many references to snow in the Bible? 24 How many references in the New Testament? 2 - both of them refer to snow as an image of purity: angel at Jesus' resurrection (Matthew 28:3) and the description of the head and hair of someone 'like a son of man' (Rev 1:14) Elsewhere the bible uses snow as a description of whiteness (leprosy; wash me whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18) It describes undependable friends as being like melting snow (Job 6:16) It describes a trustworthy messenger as being like refreshing snow in the heat of a difficult task (Proverbs 25:13) But the Bible has a little bit more to say about snow 1. It speaks of an incident that happened in the snow David had three mighty men. One of them was called Benaiah. On one occasion he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. (2 Samuel 23:20; 1 Chron 11:22) 2. God gives the snow He commands the snow to fall (Job 37:6; Psalm 147:16). God 'stores' the snow for the d...

Father God With great joy we thank you for this site, and for the blessing that it has been to so many people. We thank you for South Lee School, for Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club, Sporting 87 football club and St Edmundsbury Council We thank you for those who have had this vision to develop a sports hall, changing rooms and cricket pavilion; and for those who have enabled the vision to be turned into reality. We thank you for the Borough councillors and officers, for all that they have done to make this possible. We thank you for the generosity of all who have given time and money to the project. We do thank you for the lawyers, architects, engineers and builders – and for the gifts that you have given them. We thank you for showing us what is possible when we work together. We now ask, as the foundations are laid, for your continued guidance, provision and particularly for your protection for the builders. And we pray that this building and this site will continu...

Isaiah 43:1-7 Great joy to celebrate the birth of Sophie. And I’m going to speak to Sophie this morning, because at long last it will be a privilege to be able to speak to someone who will be able to appreciate what I say Sophie, I’m basing what I would like to say on Isaiah 43 1. God made you. You might think that your mum and dad had a say in your creation – and I grant that they had a little bit to do with it. Verse 1 states: But now, this is what the   Lord   says – he who created you, Jacob,   he who formed you, Israel:     God created Jacob and Israel. Jacob is another name for Israel. But Jacob was the son of Isaac who was the son of Abraham. And when God uses the name ‘Jacob’, he is reminding us that although Israel is a nation, Israel is also a big family: made up of the descendents of Jacob. So God is saying, ‘I created this family’. And in the New Testament, we are told that God created all families. So ...