Talks, Sermons and Reflections

Luke 8:26-39 Today we meet the demon possessed man. Mosaic of the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac from the  Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo  in  Ravenna , C6th We meet a person who has almost been consumed by forces of evil. He is naked: stripped of dignity, protection, socially excluded and living like a wild beast. He lives among the tombs: he is living as a dead man among the dead. He has lost his name. When Jesus asks him what his name is, he defines himself by the demons He cannot be tamed. Others cannot control him. He cannot control himself. And when they enter into the pigs, the demons go into self destruct mode. They serve ‘Apollyon’ (Revelation 9:11), which means ‘the destroyer’. The demons can destroy the pigs. They would have destroyed this man, but for the tiny fragment of God residue that remains in him. But what we also see is that the demons recognise the person of Jesus; they recognise his authority. And they fear him and they hate him. He causes them...

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...

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...