Sermons And Gubbins

This sermon was preached at our Sunday morning service on Sunday 9th July. The Gospel was Matthew 11:16-19,25-30 . I hope you enjoy reading it! The other week, Miriam had a play date with one of her friends from nursery. They were both so excited beforehand and really looking forward to playing together, and it gave Jen and I the opportunity to sit and talk to another couple about grown-up things rather than Fireman Sam, Ninjago or unicorn-riding mermaids. Now, any of you who have been parents to small children, or been small children yourselves will not be surprised to learn things did not go exactly to plan! Whilst Jen and I and the other couple were happily taking about work, or cars, or the situation in Ukraine (...actually, come to think of it, children might  be better at choosing conversation topics than adults after all), we heard wailing from two different corners of the house. Duly, I investigated. The problem, as it turned out, was down to the choice of game. Miriam want...

  This sermon was preached at our Sunday morning service on Sunday 16th August. The gospel that morning was Matthew 15:21-28 Today’s gospel is difficult. Difficult because it presents us with a Jesus who – at least at first – doesn’t seem particularly Christ-like. Jesus in this passage is parochial. His concern is for his people and his nation. He’s got a mission to the House of Israel, and that is where he believes his focus needs to be. He's not concerned about helping the Canaanite woman who begs for his aid. She is not Jewish, and she is, seemingly, not worthy. I’m sure you’ve heard it before that different Gospel-writers had different focuses. John, for example, was particularly concerned with writing a theology about Christ, and Mark was writing for the benefit persecuted Christians in Rome. Matthew – who wrote our passage today – was particularly writing for a Jewish audience. Perhaps this makes Jesus’ viewpoint here more understandable; it’s an expression of solidar...