1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; * in your great compassion blot out my offenses. There are 150 psalms in the book of psalms, which we also call the psalter. All of them are poems, or lyrics to hymns, perhaps music for the temple, or songs for pilgrims on…
By Faith – sermon for 11 August 2019
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. So begins this passage from Hebrews,…
Eat, drink, be merry, live your life – sermon for 4 August 2019
The first reading is from Ecclesiastes, which you can find right after the book of Proverbs just a little past half-way through your Bible. Like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes is an extended reflection on the general character of human life, with advice about how we might live a life that is fulfilling and rich. {See the appointed…
Who is hurting? Who is helping? – sermon for 14 July 2019
The first lesson today comes from towards the end of the book of Deuteronomy. [See today’s readings…] Deuteronomy is the last of the five books which are known as the Pentateuch. Traditionally these are thought to be the books of the law of Moses. Deuteronomy is set on the eve of the Hebrew people’s arrival…
Adapting to a new harvest – sermon for 7 July 2019
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus sending out 70 apostles to go and talk about the good news. He sends them out in pairs, so 35 teams of evangelists are going out. We are told that they they are to tell the good news. We are told that they are to go to the same…