Talks, Sermons and Reflections

Matthew 28:16-20 There is something odd in these verses Jesus has all authority. He commands the disciples to go to all nations. And he says that he will always be with them. He is, using the old words, omni-potent and omni-present. And so you would expect him to say, ‘baptise them in my name’.  A link to the audio of the talk can be found here That would make sense. When you are baptised into someone’s name, you become part of them and they become part of you. Your lives are intertwined. Their glory becomes the glory in which you share. Their destiny is your destiny. You become their person, and they become your person. And if you hear echoes of marriage here, then you are thinking in the right way. In 1 Corinthians 10:2, Paul speaks of how the ancient Israelites were baptised into Moses. As they received Moses authority, as they followed him through the waters of the Red Sea, they were baptised into Moses: they became part of him, and he became part of them. And Paul also ...

John 14:15-21 Why? Why do you come to church? Why do you seek to keep the commandments: say the 10 commandments (or at least some of them!): no stealing, murder, adultery, lying or coveting? Jesus intensifies that to no hating, lusting, swearing – or perhaps more positively forgiving, exercising self discipline, speaking words of integrity. Why do you give? Why do you try to forgive? Why do you want to try and love other people even those you don't like or who don't like you? Why might you try to say some prayers, or the Lord's prayer, when you are on your own? The audio of this talk can be found here Because it is a habit, or what we have been taught we should do, or it is familiar or comfortable, or because it is useful in life? I suggest that somewhere within us, whatever other reasons we do those things for, we do them – rather than other things - because there is a spark of love for God in us. Jesus says, ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments’ (v15). ‘They wh...