Colourful Dreamer

This week like every Palm Sunday we are invited to journey with Jesus down the Kidron Valley and into the ambivalent Passover crowds of Jerusalem, on through the maze of streets and events until we reach Golgotha and the cross. We are invited to notice how we respond as we enter this week and how this story helps us see our world differently and to live compassionately. It begins with a small crowd from the country waving branches (no palms in Matthew) on the Monday (Matthew is just playing with us now) before Passover. They are welcoming their “king” who rode a donkey into the city. They cry Hosanna!! Each Sunday, we join them crying Hosanna as we gather around the Eucharistic table. What is it we cry? Hosanna is both our plea for God to save, and a shout of praise and exaltation. As we join that procession what is it we long to be saved from? And for what do we give thanks and praise? This king is unlike most other kings. He does not enter Jerusalem like Pilate or Herod Antipas...

Some thoughts for this week’s gospel reading.  I am not preaching so there will not be any sermon notes. Luke 18: 9-14  invites us to wrestle with the same questions from last week, which is not surprising given this is the follow on story from last week -  Who is this God we pray to? Does God hear about prayers? Does God act? What is prayer anyway? Why pray? If you think you understand what Jesus is saying and you are feeling ok about that, then beware. I am currently reading “Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi”, by Amy-Jill Levine. She writes from a Jewish perspective and reminds us that parables withing he Biblical tradition were designed to disturb and to set people back on their heels. They are open ended and invite debate. They never contain a simple moral. So, this story is also a hard reading. It is very tempting to pass judgement on the Pharisee’s motivations, assumptions and understanding of God, and in doing so assume...

You can listen to this sermon here Gate Pa –  Trinity Sunday in Easter- Year C - 2022 Readings: Psalm                          Psalm: 8                                                                      First Reading :             Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31                                     Second Reading : ...

  Papamoa AGM – Year C  8 th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 2022 Readings: First Reading:                     Jeremiah 17:5-10                                              Psalm                                  Psalm 92: 1-4, 12-15 Second Reading :               1 Cor 15:12-20                                         ...