Today is the feast of Pentecost. A powerful, but strange collection of images surround us. Tongues of fire; strange languages; Cretans; mighty winds; thunder; lightning; holy Spirit gifts; smoke … and more. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek language, where it simply means the ‘fiftieth’ day. It is the name for a Jewish feast, which in the Hebrew language it is called Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks. It occurs seven weeks (or a ‘week of weeks’) after […]

Our Gospel today for the Ascension of the Lord, is taken from what is called the longer ending to Mark’s gospel. Verses 9-20 of Mark 16 were added by another scribe or author who didn’t like the abrupt original ending of the gospel in verse 8. This author wants us to know certain things about the community that Jesus commissions. Jesus calls the church – which means every one of us – to preach and […]

Sometimes there are passages of scripture that continue to leap out of the pages of the bible (or as is usually the case for me – to jump off the screen). This section of John’s Gospel is one of those – and it has been for some thirty years. You may have had some kind of mystical experience that helps you to know exactly what Jesus is talking about when he tells us that he […]

The image of the vine was very significant across the history of Israel. It is used as a symbol of all that was good about Israel – the fruitfulness and capacity to enjoy life in all its fullness – but also of all that had gone wrong across her history. For example in Psalm 80, the image is of the vine that was brought from Egypt and planted in the good soil of Israel, to […]

Jesus appears to the disciples today, joined by the two disciples who have been transformed by their journey to the village of Emmaus (Luke 24). He appears as quickly and easily inside the locked room as he disappeared as they recognised him in the breaking of the bread. Just as Jesus had explained to Cleopas and his companion from the Books of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms all that was necessary for them to […]

Doubt. Belief. Fear. Peace. Joy. Sending. Breath. Spirit. Sins forgiven. So much happens when the young church is gathered and huddled behind locked doors trying to make sense of all that has happened over these days. All of this happens on that same day, the evening of the first day of the week – Sunday. The Sunday that we call Easter Sunday. And then a week later. As they gather, still in fear and confusion, […]

The ending of the Gospel of Mark is very intriguing. There are no stirring words, no great commission, no story of faith to motivate belief and response. Only a rather dark and foreboding conclusion: And the women came out and ran away from the tomb because they were frightened out of their wits; and they said nothing to a soul, for they were afraid. Mark 16:8 It is little wonder that later scribes attempted to […]

The ending of the Gospel of Mark is very intriguing. There are no stirring words, no great commission, no story of faith to motivate belief and response. Only a rather dark and foreboding conclusion: And the women came out and ran away from the tomb because they were frightened out of their wits; and they said nothing to a soul, for they were afraid. Mark 16:8 It is little wonder that later scribes attempted to […]

The Commemoration of the Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of John is very different to the other gospels. Although it is brutal and heart-breaking, Jesus is always in control of his destiny and he exerts a regal air over all that he interacts with. In contrast to the Gospel of Mark that we heard on Passion Sunday (and again this morning in the Scenes of the Cross) where Jesus mostly remains silent, speaking only […]

One of the great privileges of having a month in Jerusalem last year was visiting many of the places that are associated with the final days in the life of Jesus. Stepping on the same ground that Jesus had walked over, prayed in, wept in, offered his laments and called his disbelieving disciples deeper into life and joy – helped to bring the gospel scenes to life and remind me that the stories of Jesus […]