Talks, Sermons and Reflections

Matthew 6:1-6,16-21 Our gospel reading is about secret things  It is about what is going on deep in here, in our heart. It is about what we treasure, what we long for and what we desire What is it that we really want – more than anything else? Do we want love, honour, vindication, security, possessions, power, peace, revenge, the gratification of our human desires – whether through sex or food or drink or something more.  Or do we desire intimacy with God in the secret place? Problem here is that the people who Jesus is speaking said that intimacy with God was their greatest desire, but in reality their desires were set on very human things.   God had become a means to an end. Religion, spirituality had become a means to an end.  They gave in order to gain recognition  They prayed in order to be honoured  They fasted in order to impress others - the others who matter to them.  But, says Jesus, if your desire is f...

Genesis 1:26-2:3 I’d like to speak this morning about you! 1. You were created as an act of love ‘God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31) Forgive me for being a bit philosophical. We are created beings. We can only love as a response. I see you and I love you I taste chocolate and I love chocolate Our love is always a response to something that has been created, to something that is there. But God’s love is different. God creates what he loves God does not see you and love you. God loves you and so created you. That is why, when God looks at everything that he has created, it was good. You are loved and therefore you exist. 2. You were created in the image of God Genesis 1.26, ‘Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image’ Genesis 1.27, ‘So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’ That does not mean that the invisible eternal...

Matthew 5:13-20 Jesus said to his followers, “You are the salt of the earth” It is a strange illustration. But salt is important - especially in a world where there were no fridges and no antiseptic cream It was considered to be one of the essentials of life: it preserves, heals, flavours. It was added to the Old Testament sacrifices And it is also used as a metaphor, a picture, for wisdom: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone”. (Colossian 4:6)   So when Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth”, he is saying that without God this world is flat, broken and everything will rot and die. But his followers are the salt of the earth. And you are to be the people who bring the flavours of the earth to life, who bring healing, who point to that which is eternal. There are two things that I would like to note. 1.  Jesus does not tell his disciples to add salt. He tells us that we ...