Seasonal
Where do we stand? What do we see? (Luke 23:44-49)
Luke 23:44-49 If one googles ‘optical illusions’, there is usually a drawing of a woman among the images. Some see her as young with her head turned away, others as old and in profile. Most notice one or other of…
The path no one knew was there (Psalm 77)
Ps 77:1-20 As we set out in the New Year and reflect on 2021, Covid is still with us and just when we began to think that life will be getting back to some normalcy, the Omicron variant arrived raising…
The most needful thing in life (John 1:14-18)
John 1:14-18; Exod 33:15-23; 34:1-9 One of the hardest things of the Covid pandemic has been the social isolation we felt or may be feeling even now. When we face a crisis, are anxious, wrestle with tough questions, we want…
Moving from despair to hope (Ps 22:21-31)
Ps 22:21-31 When we are miserable and the world looks bleak, moving from despair to hope seems impossible. It is what the disciples must have felt looking at Jesus dying on the cross. In our lives too, when God’s power…
No fair-weather faith (Psalm 22:1-21)
Ps 22:1-21 Many non-Christians think of religion as a crutch. ‘How wonderful that you have faith to comfort you’, they say, as if faith were a magic pill that took the pain away. The truth is though that it can…
Learning a new perspective on life (Psalm 73)
Ps 73:1-28 A single friend confessed to me once how hard she found going to weddings. On one occasion, it was particularly riling when the bride was known to have had a rebellious phase earlier in her faith. At the…
Giving thanks in time of trouble (Ps 138)
Ps 138:1-8 As we leave behind 2020, many may heave a sigh of relief. For some, who have found it a particular struggle, giving thanks may seem the last thing they want to do. Notice, however, that the psalmist is…
God’s wondrous plan (Isa 29:11-14)
Isa 29:11-14 As we read the gospels’ account of Jesus’ birth, our familiarity with the story may have blunted our amazement at the incomprehensible, even shocking nature of such a revelation. God in human flesh? Isn’t this blasphemy? A holy…
A foretaste of what is to come – justice and peace (Isa 11:3-9)
Isa 11:3-9 When I was a volunteer working for a mission in my twenties, I was hosted by a local family. It turned out to be an awkward living arrangement, where the head of the household generously offered his home,…
The character of our King – the Spirit of wisdom (Isa 11:1-2)
Isa 11:1-2 As we continue exploring the revelation about the promised King, Messiah, we land in Isa 11:1-9 that expands on the picture painted in Isa 9:6-7 and describes a wise king. The intervening chapters reiterate the people’s sin, their…