Reading, Reflection and Prayer

Ben and Richard read the pivotal section of Luke's gospel, where Peter confesses 'You are the Christ'. We think about the profound implications of our own answer to that question, and what responding to Jesus means in terms of wholehearted discipleship.

Ruth and Richard talk about the best bits of the Christmas holidays and then we get into scripture and read and reflect on the story of the feeding of the 5,000.

Ruth and Richard talk about what they're most looking forward to about Christmas (spoiler alert: stockings!). We look at Jesus sending the disciples out on mission. When they're sent out they're told to take nothing with them.

Ben and Richard get excited over Christmas being only a few days away. Our reading in Luke sees two examples of faith and of the compassion of Jesus to heal.

We read the story of Jesus casting out demons from the possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. It's interesting that the people who see this extraordinary healing take place are filled with fear and ask Jesus to leave. Sometimes the coming of the light is not as comfortable or as welcome as we might expect.

The disciples are terrified while Jesus is asleep during the storm. He speaks to the storm and it becomes still. He chastises the disciples for their lack of faith, while they respond in fear and wonder.

We think about the call of Jesus to allow our lives to shine in this world. Jesus' teaching about who his mothers, brothers and sisters are causes us to reflect on the depth of relationship that we are called to in our Church Family.

We read the parable of the sower and it's explanation. Between the telling of the parable and Jesus explaining it to his disciples, he tells that that he tells his message in parables so that although his message will be heard it will not be understood. What is going on here? Ben and Richard unpack this tricky quote from Isaiah chapter 6.

We read the story of Jesus, the pharisee Simon and the 'woman who lived a sinful life'. Her outpouring of herself (and a lot of perfume) stands in stark contrast to Simon's reserve, and even lack of proper hospitality. We think about the way in which it is in some ways harder to come to faith when it's less obvious what needs to be transformed.

We read the description of the ministry of John the Baptist. His baptism prepared the hearts of the people to receive the message of Jesus. We talk about repentance as the necessary precondition of faith.