Colourful Dreamer

This sermon can be listened to here Gate Pa – Year B  24 th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Psalm                          Psalm 19                                                         First Reading :                         Prov 1:20-33                Second Reading :                    James 3:1-12                Gospel :                                    Mark 8:27-38                 What I want to say: I want to use the questions Jesus used with the disciples to explore our response, and what that might reveal about who God is for us and what it means to be followers or disciples of this God What I want to happen: I want people to explore their own responses to the questions and what that reveals about their image of God and what it means to be a follower The Sermon        1.      Introduction: Poor old Peter. One minute he is top of the class -          somehow he has guessed it

Poor old Peter. One minute he seems to have it all sorted. Next minute, he is being rebuked. Except, in Mark, like the blind man Jesus had just healed, Peter is really only seeing very dimly. They are rebuked to be silent because they do not understand. Jesus needed to know how much of the last three years had stuck. Turned out not much. This group were in no shape for the big time and all that waited in Jerusalem. They got the liberation bit, but not the way all that might happen. Their ideas were too influenced by how their society operated. It was hard to let go and see God at work in vulnerability, caring and love. What about us? [1] What have we learned thus far from our travels with Jesus?   Who is Jesus - really?   How much is our answer to Jesus’ question shaped by our society and our hopes and dreams? What has all this prepared us for? And just what is it that lies ahead for us? What will be required us to actually produce the fruit from all this preparation? Are we re

This can be listened to here Gate Pa – Year B 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Psalm             Psalm 125       First Reading:             Prov 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23           Second Reading:        James 2:1-10, 11-13, 14-17     Gospel:                                    Mark 7:24-37                 What I want to say: I want to explore the story of the Syrophonecian woman as a story about Jesus coming face to face with the ramifications of what he had been teaching; that the reign of God plays by nobody’s rules but God’s, not even Jesus’ rules; and then ask who might be acting as the Syrophonecian woman today. What I want to happen: People to reflect on who might be acting as the Syrophonecian woman for us today? The Sermon        1.       Introduction: few jobs ago Bonnie and I worked for Methodist church helping parishes think about how they might need to change if they really wanted to be a welcoming place for young people pretty inten