Looking Deeper

Some reflections from Romans 8 related to Jesus' "hour of prayer" in the garden.

In a striking contrast to the woman from last week who couldn't be kept away from Jesus in his "hour", his three closest friends fail to stay with him for even one hour. We are invited to consider whether we are staying with Jesus in our own "hours".

I unpack what lies behind Jesus' statement in Mark 14:7 and how our imaginations might need to be challenged by it, rather than lulled into apathy towards those experiencing poverty.

We begin our journey with Jesus towards the cross with the woman who insisted on being his companion by anointing him for burial in advance. It is a beautiful picture of how we are invited to respond to Jesus pouring himself out for us by pouring ourselves out for him and for one another.

We come to the end of our time with Jeremiah and revisit some of the things his life and words have taught us, and especially how the way his story "ends" is so consistent with other biblical characters and our own stories.

When the future is bleak, faithfulness can seem impossible, but it is more important than ever.

Jeremiah is asked to express audacious hope in the face of looming calamity, and so are we.

Our apologies for the delay in posting this sermon and the next.

In this passage from Jeremiah, we consider how we can carry on when it seems like we are insignificant and unseen.

Our formal launch into Jeremiah's book takes us to the years 609 and 605 BC at a pivotal moment in Israel's history and gives us a view to God's posture towards the causes of our tears and pain and invites us to respond in faith and hope.