Category: Sunday Reflections

A weekly reflection on the lectionary readings for Sunday

Third Sunday of Lent

8th March 2026

Reflection with readings below 

In the reading from Exodus, the people are up  in arms that they don’t have enough fresh water to drink. Quite rightly so. They know how important water is. Without water they will not survive.   

Do we know what is important for life – or do we get distracted by populist issues such as wifi speed, foreign travel, journey times between London and Manchester, how many asylum seekers are occupying cheap hotel rooms, or the availability of strawberries in January? 

Equally do we get up in arms about what is truly important? Are we more concerned about the love-lives of pop stars or the fate of prisoners? The domestic arrangements of the royal family or the plight of steel workers in Wales?  The most recent diatribe from Nigel Farage or waiting times in our local A and E?

Returning to the necessity of water, how many of us are aware that Tehran is about to run out of drinking water? How many of us are concerned about the amount of water needed to cool AI data centres here in the UK?  

The UK already faces a projected daily water deficit of nearly 5 billion litres by 2050 –  which doesn’t include what might be needed by as yet to be built data centres. Might we expect agriculture to take precedence over data processing? 

Water shortages re not just a UK issue, but a global issue. Across the world we are collectively consuming fresh water faster than supplies can be replenished! How many of us are outraged at the amount of water needed to make a cheap t shirt  – worn today and thrown away tomorrow? Or how many of us are outraged that so much water is used to grow crops for cattle to eat so that ever greater quantities of meat can be consumed? 

If nothing else, maybe their time in the wilderness taught the Hebrews that they couldn’t just expect water to be readily available at the drop of a hat – or a stick! More precisely they would have learnt that their access to water was dependent on their understanding their relationship with God. They should expect to go through life – or through the wilderness – without engaging in a real and trusting relationship with God.

God, as creator, is the source of the wisdom we need to live sustainably, securely, happily within the limits of creation. We are not gods.  We cannot make creation conform to our demands. We have to live within the limitations of the created world. We cannot consume more water than the world can supply. We cannot discharge more pollution than the environment can absorb. We cannot take more resources from the earth than the earth can sustain.  

Where are our contemporary prophets, who, like Moses, will challenge us to think rationally, who will challenge us to understand our dependency on God? Where are the preachers, the thinkers and writers,  who will help us understand how  God wishes to  – and indeed does – relate with us, and the rest of creation? Are we ready to ‘kneel before the Lord our maker and listen to his voice’?

We can, nevertheless, draw consolation from the fact that God does not require us to be sinless for God to love us. What ever the state of our stupidity, our greed, our misplaced self-assurance, God is always willing to pay heed to our concerns, to afford us her wisdom, to show us a way forward. But we do have to want to engage with God – and that surely is what we mean by faith: the desire to be guided by God, to be in a relationship with God, to trust that God does indeed have answers to our problems. That is faith. 

The Samaritan woman had the means of taking water out of the well. She could do this day in, day out – for as long as there was water in the well.  What she hadn’t understood was that water like everything else was a gift that God had given her so that she might understand the universal nature of God, so that she might replicate God’s actions by sharing what was freely given so that all might benefit, that this water might enable eternal life not just for her and her tribe, but for everyone.

Like the Samaritan woman, we, even now in the 21st century, have a lot to learn about the life giving properties of water, and most particularly that those properties depend upon water being properly cherished and shared – to understand that all water is holy.

Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” 

Psalm 95

1 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have moulded the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

8 Harden not your hearts,
as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,
when they tempted me.

9 They put me to the test, *
though they had seen my works.

10 Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”

11 So I swore in my wrath, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Romans 5:1-11

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person– though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

John 4:5-42

Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” 

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him. 

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.”

 Thank you for inviting me here today to explore with you today’s Bible readings and to relate them to the mission of Christian Climate Action.

Psalm 121 asks where does our help comes from? Not from hills say the Psalmist.  Those are the high places where the Cananite gods and goddesses were worshipped. No our help comes from God!

In his letter to the Romans St Paul is writing to a Christian community that is a mix of those who have come to believe in Jesus as the fulfilment and expansion of the very Jewish faith that they have grown up with. Others will be those who have grown up within the culture of worshipping the gods and goddesses of the Greek and Roman tradition, and who have now adopted a completely different faith – that of following Jesus.

But what underpins their faith? From what Paul is writing, it seems as if some want to read the scriptures as telling them that strict adherence to the old laws is essential, and that this is the only know that they are righteous. And it may have been just a much the non-Jewish believers who wanted the certainty that a rigid set of rules would give. No more thinking: just follow the rules: job done. 

Paul however takes the story of Abraham to help them their understand the scriptures from a new – Christian – perspective . Look, says Paul, Abraham’s relationship with God wasn’t established or maintained through him doing X number of good works or performing particular rituals – and it certainly wasn’t about following the law because Abraham predates that. No Abraham’s relationship with God was established through faith, through his implicit trust in God.  

Paul is saying to the Christians in Rome that they must read the Jewish scriptures – remember at this stage the Gospels had yet to be written – through a new lens which is Jesus Christ. And whether they have been brought up as Jews or as followers of Greek and Roman gods, it is not following the law that will grow their relationship with God, but faith. This is a radical but inescapable truth that Paul is urging them to understand. 

So we come to today’s Gospel reading. What is going on here? It sounds as if Jesus is answering a different set of questions to the ones that Nicodemus is asking! Or is it that Jesus is answering the questions that Nicodemus ought to have asked?

This sense of the two protagonists debating together is captured in a picture by the 17th century artist, Crijn Henricksz Volmarijn. Here by the aid of candlelight Jesus and Nicodemus sit together with  several books on the table in front of them. Jesus is using his fingers to enumerate the points he is making. 

The open books in front of Nicodemus are the Jewish scriptures which he had grown up with. The painter shows him with a pair of spectacles which he is holding in his hand. These glasses are  the painter’s way of telling us that Nicodemus has always read the scriptures through the lens of his pharisaical learning. But as he is listening to Jesus, he has taken the glasses off because Jesus is giving him a different way of understanding the scriptures. Now at last Nicodemus is beginning to grasp what Jesus is saying. 

The book in front of Jesus is only partly open. It represents the Gospel – the new scripture – that has yet to be written but which Jesus – who is the Word – is proclaiming through what he says and does.  Jesus is inviting Nicodemus to read the scriptures differently, to see the world around him in a different light, and therefore to start living differently, to begin life anew! “You must be born again, you must be born from above.”

And isn’t that what Jesus also asks of us? 

Especially during Lent when we are invited to hear and read the scriptures anew, alert to how Jesus wants us to hear his word, ready to step away from where we were going wrong, and to begin afresh following the new ways of the radical Jesus.

I’m both part of Green Christian and of Christian Climate Action, and it is through prayer, the study of scripture and theological reflection that we are constantly trying to focus on where Jesus is leading us and what he is asking us to do.

Recently we have had some conversations about the two creation stories in Genesis, and how are the Hebrew word translated as dominion might be understood. In the past the story has been read as sanctioning human rule over and exploitation of all natural resources, plants and creatures. A more contemporary understanding would be that humanity is tasked with relating to natural resources, plants and creatures in the same way that God himself exercises dominion over all creation. This developing theology is one that embraces that of St Francis of Assisi who held that all creatures, all parts of the natural world from sun to rain, from moon to fire, should be treated as brother and sister, to the more recent thinking of Pope Francis who called this earth our common home. From this viewpoint humanity is seen as an integral and interdependent part of creation  – and not as a separate and superior species.

We can see afresh that our human self assurance and greed have led us to exploit fossil fuels such that their carbon emissions dioxide have increased to such an extent that the earth’s climates has been irreversibly changed (at least for the next millennia). Human activities are now causing overheating, extreme weather conditions, floods and wild fires, and are harming – and killing – our fellow brothers and sisters, human and creaturely. 

As followers of Jesus, we are called to love all our neighbours.  And so Christian Climate Action has been calling on the Government not to licence the development of the Rosebank oil field in the North Sea. 

We have been calling on oil companies such as Equinor and Shell to transition into renewable energy companies.

We have been calling on banks such as Barclays, to stop funding new oil and gas projects.

We have successfully campaigned in calling upon the Church of England’s dioceses and their National Investment Bodies (NIBs) to divest from fossil fuels.

We have successfully campaigned in calling upon organisations such as Oxfam and Christian Aid to switch away from banking with Barclays. And we continue to campaign calling on other institutions such as our dioceses and the National Trust, to likewise shift to ethical banks.

We take to heart the command in Genesis 2 to cherish and protect the earth. Across the world, biodiversity – natural wildlife in all its richness and beauty – is rapidly diminishing, pushed out of existence by human urbanisation, industrialised farming, and the impacts of climate change. An international consensus has led to the development of the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. 

This framework sets out how we can reverse the rapid loss of biodiversity across the world and protect the natural ecosystems  – clean air, fresh water, fertile soils, a sufficient number and variety of pollinators etc – on which life depends. Each participating nation, including the UK, has committed  to restore and protected for nature 30% of their land and seas by 2030. 

This clearly is in line with God’s words of instruction in Genesis.

In response to this Christian Climate Action is in dialogue with the Church Commissioners over the scope they have to restore for nature up to 30% of the land that they control. 

In light of the increasing ecological crisis that the earth faces, Christian Climate Action has produced a vision document entitled ‘Stop Crucifying Creation.’ The  document was drawn together after much prayer and reflection, as we looked again at what God is calling us to do in the face of the damage we humans are causing. 

It is a call to  the Church to discover afresh its roots – that lively and compelling faith demonstrated by the early churches that St Paul wrote to.

It is a call to the Church to embrace anew the courage it has shown at other critical points in history, and to reclaim its prophetic role in speaking truth to power – whether that is calling on oil companies to cease burning the planet, or calling on water companies to stop polluting the rivers, or calling on the Government to take urgent action in addressing the climate and nature crisis, or calling on world leaders to seek peace and dialogue rather than  a knee jerk reaction towards aggression and conflict. 

Truly we are being called to see the world and the scriptures anew, to be as ones born again as we follow in the steps of the radical Jesus, loving whole heartedly our neighbours whoever and wherever they are.

Amen.

Psalm 121

Levavi oculos

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?

2 My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;

5 The Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,

6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.

8 The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.

The Epistle

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. 

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 

The Gospel

John 3:1-17

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 

“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

First Sunday of Lent

22nd February 2026

Reflection with readings below 

Life is full of choices: whether to get up or lie in a bit longer; what to have for breakfast; which coffee to have – the skinny decaf latte or the oat flat white; whether to be vegan or vegetarian; to drive or take the bus; which bank to bank with. Most choices are innocuous and inconsequential. But it is surprising how even when the choice is between a safe bet and a dead cert risk, we can still make the wrong choice. That certainly was the case in the story of Adam and Eve. They had all the food they needed but they chose to eat the one fruit destined to kill them!

Yes they were tempted. The snake fed them a slippery line one that as not quite truthless but definitely flawed. Perhaps that snake was a budding marketing executive or maybe a spin doctor.

Would we have been so gullible? So foolish?

Yet for 30 plus years we have know that putting excessive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere causes global warming – causing extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity etc  – and yet we have carried on not just putting CO2 into the atmosphere, but increasing the amount we put in! 

Have we been duped? Yes. Big businesses – the fossil fuel industry, the meat industry, the plastics industry, the tech industry etc – have all been encouraging us to buy, buy and buy. They have argued against restraint. They have green washed the truth. They have fought and bought themselves the freedoms that they want.

Have we been trapped? Yes. Big business has created a vast network of systems that overshadows the freedom of the individual. We are dependent on transport networks to provide roads and trains. We are dependent on electricity grids and energy companies to heat our homes and power our computers. We are dependent on software updates and mobile signals. We are dependent on supermarkets and their supply chains for our weekly shopping. We’re dependent on investment funds to build homes and schools, hospitals and prisons. And we’re dependent on governments to create workable rules that will constrain the worst of the risks.

The writers of the scriptures knew the compromised state of the world – hence this story today of Adam and Eve. They also knew that the world wasn’t in the state desired by God – both creation stories present a picture goodness and harmony of God’s original making. Yet God doesn’t abandon or give up the world. If we read on we hear that God speaks with Adam and Eve, draws out from them sufficient wisdom that they see their error and can accept forgiveness. God re-equips them to live in the world as it now was. Once more humanity is willing to work with God (and almost as a footnote we hear that God replaces their scanty leaf attire with something more robust).

Jesus too experiences the temptation of being human.  He is tempted to do things the human way that ignores God and relies on hearsay and half truths. But Jesus stay true to the word and the wisdom of God. And Jesus – both there in the wilderness – and back on the roads and in the towns, challenges the systems that distort God’s word, that disregard God’s wisdom. Systems that fail. Systems that fail the vulnerable, that do not help the weakest, that do not protect the environment, that do not result in love for our neighbour.

What makes temptation tricky is that it can seem so plausible. That as systems become more complex it is harder to see the truth, to understand where the good lies, to find the path that helps our neighbour. 

Last week, starting on Ash Wednesday, Christian Climate Action held a 24 hour vigil outside St Paul’s cathedral, calling on the Church as an institution to speak out prophetically against the suffering of the world, against injustice, and against our tacit crucifying of creation. As each hour past, we prayed for different areas of the world, which within just the first six weeks of 2026, had suffered from the impacts of the climate crisis. Places as far afield as Patagonia and Albania, as Morocco and the UK.

It was a cold, tiring 24 hours, and at times wet! Yet we maintained our quiet presence and continued to pray.  But no one, no one from the cathedral, from the institutional church that is seen as a leader of faith in this country, came out to pray with us or even talk with us. Who is going to challenge the systems that distort truth, that aggravate the climate crisis, that persist in rewarding the rich and penalising the poor? The temptation perhaps is to do nothing!

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’“ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Psalm 32 

1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!

2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!

3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.

4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.

6 I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.

7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; *
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.

8 You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

9 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.

10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.”

11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.

12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Romans 5:12-19

As sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned– sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, 

‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, 

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 

‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’” 

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. 

Sunday before Lent

15th February 2026

Reflection with readings below

Reading today’s passages one thing that struck me was  the word ‘liminal’. It is a word that comes from the Latin ‘limen’ meaning a threshold, cross-piece, or sill. It is describes an in between space, somewhere between, say, inside and outside. Or between what has been and what will be. It can be a physical  – on the threshold of a door, or in the no-man’s land between borders, or in A and E, between the ambulance and the hospital ward. Or it can be mental – standing on the chancel step as a couple make their wedding vows, or at midnight making New Year’s resolution, or on the edge of the pool preparing to dive in.

Both the story of Moses going up Mount Sinai and of Jesus going up a high mountain have a liminal character. Both Moses and Jesus are momentarily standing outside their normal pattern of daily life. It is as if they are pausing before taking the next momentous step in their journey. For both it is a transformative moment. They both have a close encounter with God. And because we know what happens afterwards, we know that for both this is turning point or rather a point of no return. The gift of the Ten Commandments is a defining moment for God’s people. They may sin and fail, but they cannot undo or un-become God’s people. For Jesus there is no turning back, no disappearing back into the crowd of Galilean peasantry. He is now set in Jerusalem and a confrontation with the powers that be. 

The etymology of the word liminal gives us not just the idea of a threshold but also of a cross-piece, which of course suggests the cross. The transfiguration of Jesus prefigures his resurrection which is probably why this gospel passage is chosen for this the last Sunday before Lent. 

Can we then see Lent as a liminal period? A time in which we will be on the threshold of what was and what will be, between ‘ordinary  time’ and the new era of resurrection? If so, it will also be a time of encounter with God, a time of preparation and empowerment. It will be a turning point, a point of no return, for we are called by God to be an Easter people. 

All this reinforces the need for Lent to be a time of prayer, of reflection, of freeing ourselves from unnecessary trappings and letting go of unnecessary burdens, a time of drawing near to God. Lent is a time to ready ourselves for what God is next going to ask of us. Lent is a liminal time when we rediscover or discover a new, what it is to be God’s people, to be participants in bringing in God’s kingdom here on earth.

Exodus 24:12-18

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” 

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Psalm 2

1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?

2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the Lord and against his Anointed?

3 “Let us break their yoke,” they say; *
“let us cast off their bonds from us.”

4 He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.

5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his rage fills them with terror.

6 “I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion.”

7 Let me announce the decree of the Lord: *
he said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.

9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”

10 And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Submit to the Lord with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;

12 Lest he be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.

13 Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him!

2 Peter 1:16-21

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Second Sunday before Lent

8th February 2026

Reflection with readings below

There can be a tendency for people to disregard the Old (or rather Hebrew Testament) as irrelevant, too obsessed with pedantry rules, or with too many stories of a vengeful God slaughtering his enemies. How then should one hear Jesus, in today’s gospel, saying ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”?

It seems to me that today’s passage from Isaiah neatly provides the answer. 

The people – those of the house of Jacob, ie those who considered themselves to be God’s people – absolutely want to be seen to be doing what is right, to be seen to be following God’s ways, yet Isaiah is told to tell them – to shout out and not to hold back! – that they are rebellious sinners. 

Why? 

Because  they do not engage with God wants, with what is at the heart of God’s teaching. They may fast now and then, and look a bit humble, but they won’t forgo any profit or riches to ensure that their workers are fairly paid. And they won’t humbly pay attention the other’s point of view but instead go straight in, fists flying, and use violence to impose their will. 

These people have failed to understand that what God wants is for them to end injustice and oppression, and to be hospitable, providing homes and food and clothing etc for the poor.

It’s not about looking good but doing good! And that is the essence of all the law and the prophets.  It is as Paul writes, about following God’s wisdom –  however foolish that may seem – rather than the wisdom of the world’s leaders which is doomed to lead to failure.

If we but look around the world, we will see this as truth. How often do we see rich and powerful people  making out how benevolent and wise they are, only to find that they have made their wealth by exploiting others? How often do we see rich and powerful people using force of the threat of violence  to oppress others? How often do we hear national leaders promising to help the poor and vulnerable at press conferences, only to backtrack when the cameras are looking elsewhere? 

Nor must we neglect to look to our own actions. When we buy a cheap cup of coffee, of cheap shirt, or a cheap bag of apples, do consider whether the low price reflects an underpaid barista, or an underpaid factory worker, or an underpaid farmer?

Jesus is telling us is that there is no alternative from following God’s law. If we neglect God’s law we are like salt that has lost its saltiness. Only if we have the singularity of the saltiness of salt, only  if we have the integrity of light shining forth, can we hope to welcome the Kingdom of God.

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!

Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;

they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.

“Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.

Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.

Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.

Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?

Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

Psalm 112:1-9 

1 Hallelujah!
Happy are they who fear the Lord *
and have great delight in his commandments!

2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land; *
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches will be in their house, *
and their righteousness will last for ever.

4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright; *
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

5 It is good for them to be generous in lending *
and to manage their affairs with justice.

6 For they will never be shaken; *
the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

7 They will not be afraid of any evil rumours; *
their heart is right;
they put their trust in the Lord.

8 Their heart is established and will not shrink, *
until they see their desire upon their enemies.

9 They have given freely to the poor, *
and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
they will hold up their head with honour.

1 Corinthians 2:1-12

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, 

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived, 

what God has prepared for those who love him”— 

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 

Matthew 5:13-20

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

1st February 2026

Reflection with readings below.

Today’s reading from the prophet Micah takes the form of a dialogue. God has  a bone to pick – ‘a controversy’ – with his people’. What, says God, have I done to you? How have I wearies you? Why is it, God is asking, are you so disenchanted with me, so uninterested in what I am to you, so disconnected?

And it is down to Micah to answer. In fact there is nothing God has failed to do, no fault that Micah can flag up. Rather Micah knows that it is the people who are at fault; they are the ones that have failed to maintain the relationship. So instead Micah replies by asking what can he – what can the people – give to show how much God really means, to rebuild the relationship. It’s not burnt sacrifices, nor offerings of vast numbers of rams nor gallons of oil, nor even the sacrifice of the first born. No, it is to what God has already asked: do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. 

The Psalmist asks pretty much the same question, what does God want of us? To speak truthfully, to show no guile, to do no evil, to not despise our neighbour but rather to honour God, to act honestly and with integrity, to not give money in the hope of gain. 

And in Paul’s letter to the community at Corinth, we’re told that being Godly is not about being wise, or rich, or powerful, or of noble birth (and today we might add not being a celebrity). 

All this is building up to Jesus’s famous teaching on who are God’s blessed – those who experience an inner joy and contentment that comes from their relationship with God. 

All these positive actions, these positive ways of living, are what makes the kingdom of God real here on earth. So in a sense we do know what we need to do to make the world a better place, but maybe the problems arise because so much of what is wrong in the world is structural and as individuals – even as churches – we struggle to find ways of changing those structures. Yet actually God doesn’t expect us to be successful all on our own. God asks that we be faithful, doing that which we can do and for the rest staying alongside God.

The following prayer comes from the Talmud

Do not be daunted 

By the enormity

Of the world’s grief.

Do justly, now.

Love mercy, now.

Walk humbly, now.

You are not obligated 

To complete the work

But neither are you free 

to abandon it.

Micah 6:1-8

Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.

Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth;

for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
and he will contend with Israel.

“O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!

For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and redeemed you from the house of slavery;

and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.

O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,

and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm 15

1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *
who may abide upon your holy hill?

2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *
who speaks the truth from his heart.

3 There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend; *
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour.

4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, *
but he honours those who fear the Lord.

5 He has sworn to do no wrong *
and does not take back his word.

6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, *
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

7 Whoever does these things *
shall never be overthrown.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Third Sunday After Epiphany

25th January 2026

Reflection with readings below

Two of our readings have the prophecy that ‘the people who walked/ sat in darkness have seen a great light’. A prophecy of salvation or of awakening(which might be the same thing). It speaks of change – significant change – for the people. It may even be talking of systemic change – ie that they way in which things happen, the way in which they are done, is completely changed from top to bottom, from root to branch. And that surely is likely, because Jesus’s gospel is one of complete change. Certainly it was a complete change for the four fishermen who join Jesus in sharing the gospel.

When we look around the world today the need for change is obvious but it is hard to know where to start. 

We have war and violence and the threat of war and violence. Arming the opposing sides doesn’t end the violence. But maybe solidarity – presenting a unified diplomatic front, enacting boycotts etc – does.

We can discern the roots of war and conflict in water shortages, in food shortages, in the impact of climate change that makes environments inhabitable – but also in corruption, misinformation and the abuse of power. 

The Earth does have enough resources to feed the world population but it needs resources to be diverted from livestock to humans – ie growing protein rich plants for humans to eat not for captive animals. It needs changes in income distribution so that everyone can afford to buy the food – and we need income redistribution to prevent a small number of individuals cornering the vast proportion of the world’s wealth.

As regards fresh water we are in a crisis, globally we are using fresh water faster than it can be replenished by the natural systems of convection and precipitation. In scientific parlance we have breached a planetary boundary vis a vis fresh water. We need to limit consumption – which again goes back to changing what we eat and the way we farm, but also to the technologies we use – AI is greedy consumer of water – the clothes we wear cotton in particular consumes vast quantities of water, whilst the processing of fabrics is also water intensive. We compound many problems by prematurely discarding what we have bought. 

Another planetary boundary we have crossed is that of biodiversity. In its diminished state it does not support the ecosystems that we rely on. And another boundary crossed is the amount of greenhouse gases we are pumping out into the atmosphere and which are causing the increasing incidence of extreme weather events. 

If this all seems impossible to address, you’re not alone! But let us hear the message that Jesus brought: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus took the message to the people around him, telling them parables, healing those who were sick, paying attention to what people needed, teaching them of the power of loving one another. 

To follow Jesus can mean to completely uproot and transform our lives as did the fishermen. Or it can mean to completely transform our lives and stay put as it did for for Mary and Martha and Lazarus, or for the man called Legion, or for Peter’s mother-in-law. Transforming our lives in situ is probably a life’s work: how in each situation can we be more loving, how in each part of the day can we be open to God’s presence, how can we support each other in the fellowship of the Spirit? But we can. We have the resources – our Christian communities, our prayer life, reading the Bible and learning from the insights of others, from the strength and comfort of God, from the example of Jesus, from gaining knowledge of the natural world, of the possibilities of diplomacy and alternative economics, of new and old technologies, of the power of love and hope.

A different world is possible, the kingdom of heaven is near at hand.

Isaiah 9:1-4

There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light; 

those who lived in a land of deep darkness–
on them light has shined. 

You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy; 

they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder. 

For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian. 

Psalm 27:1, 5-13

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?

5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *
and to seek him in his temple.

7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.

8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.

9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.

11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.

12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.

13 You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptised none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptised in my name. (I did baptise also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptised anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptise but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. 

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

Matthew 4:12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 

“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 

the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light, 

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.” 

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Second Sunday After Epiphany

17th January 2026

Reflection and readings below 

From our Christian perspective, the passage from Isaiah confirms Jesus as God’s chosen one, God’s servant who is the light to the world. But in the words we can also hear our own calling to be God’s servants, whose cause is to be for God here in earth. In the words of the Psalm we are called to do God’s will, to proclaim, from experience, God’s righteousness and faithfulness. And this is repeated in Paul’s letter – albeit with slightly different words, for now our experience has increased through our relationship with Jesus. We have been enriched through the grace that has been gifted to us in Jesus. 

John the Baptist is in no doubt who Jesus is. He tells us that he saw the Holy Spirit descending on him and asserts that it is with that same Spirit that Jesus enfolds us in our baptism. 

John is not preaching his message of repentance – his call for people to turn again and prepare anew the way for God – alone. He has gathered around him a band of disciples, his committed followers. Indeed this group of followers stay true to John throughout Jesus’s ministry and beyond so that in the Book of Acts we hear that Peter comes across followers of John who have not even heard of Jesus. The strength of John’s following is also attested to by contemporary writers. 

 In today’s passage we hear that the day after Jesus baptism, Jesus is again walking by the Jordan and when John says, “Look, here is the Lamb of God”, two of John’s disciples are sufficiently intrigued to want to know more. And in a story that perhaps has echoes of the Emmaus story, the two disciples (one of whom is Andrew but might the other unnamed one be a woman?) spend the day with Jesus, staying where Jesus is staying. And by the end of the day, they know that Jesus is the messiah – and not just that, they need to share what they now know. And so Andrew goes and brings his brother Simon to meet Jesus.

We too like the disciples can spend time staying with – the Greek can also mean abiding or resting – with Jesus so that we may see – or again looking at the Greek breadth of the word – experiencing Jesus. We live in a world where being busy is a virtue – and being so busy we can’t stop, is an absolute paragon of virtue! But that is not what comes to us from the scriptures. What is important is to know God, to experience God’s love, God’s faithfulness, God’s mercy – and be able to proclaim that knowledge, that enlightenment for the benefit of – and as an invitation to share the same – with others.

Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!

The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.

And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

But I said, “I have laboured in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.”

And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,

for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength–

he says,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,

“Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Psalm 40:1-12

1 I waited patiently upon the Lord; *
he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; *
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Happy are they who trust in the Lord! *
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

5 Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! *
there is none who can be compared with you.

6 Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *
but they are more than I can count.

7 In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *
(you have given me ears to hear you);

8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *
and so I said, “Behold, I come.

9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *
‘I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart.'”

10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O Lord, you know.

11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.

12 You are the Lord;
do not withhold your compassion from me; *
let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind– just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you– so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 1:29-42

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptising with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Feast of the Epiphany

4th January 2026

Reflection with readings below 

I have just finished reading Philip Pullman’s second trilogy about dust and rose oil. Dust seems to be a metaphor for consciousness – a consciousness that encompasses the ability to think for yourself and not be swayed or controlled by another authority. It is the ability to be imaginative, to think laterally, to think playfully, to be open minded. The rose oil’s contribution is in enhancing that imagination, clearing the eye to see better – and to see deeper.

For those who are authoritarian, dust is something to be limited and controlled. If not there would be the risk of anarchy. In this world view things should be structured and predictable and rule bound. People should not have to think for themselves but adhere to the wisdom of those who know better. It produces a world where anything not rational – and that includes imagination and dreams, and even soul.

For those less controlling – and yes maybe more anarchic – dust is to be valued because it is creative and because it allows people to explore what is truth. People can and should  be diverse and idiosyncratic. Nothing is hide bound. Towards the end of the last book, the Rosefield, Pullman presents big business, the power of corporate-speech, the division of people into those whose work is directed (and for whom life is an unimaginative drudgery) and those with power whose motivation is solely profit. He contrasts this with an earlier order of things where the scale of business and indeed of any organisation was local, where work was differentiated according to ability and skills, where people enjoyed feasting rather than profiteering.  The former can only succeed when imagination is dulled and people become mere things. 

That there are different ways of seeing things, and different ways of organising and doing things, is very much a gospel message – and not just as message of the New Testament, but of the Hebrew Testament too. 

In today’s gospel reading we have two different ways of understanding the world. For the magi their understanding  comes through discerning the movement of the  stars – throigh observing the natural world. For Herod’s chief priests and scribes, it comes through discerning meaning in the words of the prophets. Neither approach gives the full picture – but in combination they present a clearer answer as to where the new king will be found. But having gained this answer, there are also two ways of responding. 

The magi continue their journey of exploration and find and worship the child Jesus. They continue to be openminded in seeking what is true and in following the further  advice that comes from God.

Herod sees the information as a means to ensuring his own ends. He uses deceit to take advantage of the willingness of the magi. And as we know from reading on beyond today’s reading, when his initial plan of getting rid of the child backfires, he overreacts and kills all the young children in Bethlehem. 

Openness and discernment versus self interest and control.

The passage from Isaiah begins, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” And I’m sure that in our mind’s eye as we then read/ hear today’s gospel we see rays of starlight beaming down on the child Jesus so as to reveal to the the Magi where Jesus was but also who Jesus was. 

So I also wonder what in our imagination the world would look like we could see God’s glory shining on it now? Would it reveal things we didn’t want to know and / or would it reveal to us a transformed – a glorified – world? A world full of promise?

The Psalmist points us to a world where righteousness and justice serve to meet the needs of the poor, the lowly and the oppressed. So maybe we imagine a world where everyone has a home; where everyone has the mutual support of neighbours and family; where everyone has access to clean air and green and blue spaces; where everyone has access to schools and learning, to healthy foods and clean water, to health care; where everyone has access a job or a mode of employment that gives them value; where there is no war, no oppression, no persecution. Maybe it is a world where well-being not profit directs actions, where nature is both cared for and where nature cares for us. (And I don’t think it’s a world where super powers fly in bomb civilians and kidnap leaders simply to take charge of their oil industry!)

Certainly I imagine this is the sort of world that God both envisages and desires.  It is, I think, the sort of world that Jesus teaches about – and tells stories about. And I believe it is the sort of world that will appear as God’s reign is established and embedded here on Earth. And I am sure that we are called,  as we enter another new year, to live imaginatively and to free ourselves from the traditions and systems that tell us that nothing can change. That we are called to be creative and open hearted and inclusive in shaping our lives. That we are called to see things differently – not according to the ‘world of profit’ but according the world of the gospel. Indeed maybe the gospel is the rose-oil that helps us see God’s glory at work.

Isaiah 60:1-6 

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 

For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples; 

but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you. 

Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you; 

your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. 

Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice, 

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come. 

They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. 

Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

1 Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King’s Son;

2 That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;

3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.

4 He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.

7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.

11 All kings shall bow down before him, *
and all the nations do him service.

12 For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
and the oppressed who has no helper.

13 He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles– for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Matthew 2:1-12 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; 

for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'” 

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

First Sunday of Christmas 

28th December 2025

Reflection with readings below

Isaiah begins with what, I think, is a prophetic description of God’s Messiah. It is the continuation of the passage that Jesus will declaim in the synagogue in Nazareth – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;“ (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18). This part of the prophecy speaks of the wonder and glory that comes when good news has been brought to the oppressed, when the broken hearted have been healed, the prisoner releases and liberty proclaimed! It will be like a garden flourishing with new and abundant growth! How can we fail to understand the joy and abundance we would all enjoy of we whole heartedly welcomed in the kingdom of heaven!

The passage goes on to tell us that the Messiah will not keep silent but will shout aloud the message of this salvation – this message of vindication. 

According to Etymology online, the word vindication comes from Latin, from the past-participle stem of vindicare “lay claim to, assert; claim for freedom, set free; protect, or defend.” This is the sort of word that asserts that God’s kingdom has come here on Earth as in Heaven. It claims humanity as God’s people. And this is why the final part of this passage praise the second person plural. The establishment of God’s kingdom, of God’s rule, enriches and blesses the lives of all. This is salvation!

Salvation – the restoration and vindication of God’s reign – has been present on creation from the beginning. It has been like a light, always burning, never extinguished. But unless you look for the light, it can be hard to see it. If you close your eyes to it, you won’t see it. If you look in the opposite direction, you won’t see it. In the world there are people who do not look for the light, who close their eyes, who look the other way. Not just individuals, but communities and systems too. And such communities and systems may prevent those within from seeing the light. Seeking salvation and healing is not something we do just for ourselves – just for our own wellbeing. We need to do it together and do it together for everyone’s wellbeing. 

Peace will only prevail in Gaza, in Palestine, in Ukraine when all sides come together, work together, and create a future that is for the wellbeing of everyone. Everyone needs to be brought into process – and that is something we can advocate for whether through writing to our MPs, signing petitions, or by boycotting products and services that destabilise the balance needed to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. And justice can and does grow from the ground up. So we can certainly begin by challenging our government’s oppression of the Palestine Action remand prisoners (ie people who are innocent until proven other wise!)

The climate crisis will only be resolved when we all come together, work together, and create a future that is for the wellbeing of everyone. Everyone needs to be part of the solution which means that we all need to be doing all that we can now in changing our lifestyles, and that we all need to be talking about and advocating for the change that is needed, so that like the proverbial yeast in the dough, change happens.

Tomorrow we mark the Feast of the Holy Innocents – innocent victims of the distortion of power. It is a reminder of what happens when those who should not, close their eyes to the light, and turn away from the light. It is a reminder of the way in which systems of power can become corrupt and self reverential. Lord have mercy.

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God; 

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, 

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations. 

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, 

until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch. 

The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory; 

and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give. 

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 

Psalm 147:13-21

13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
praise your God, O Zion;

14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
he has blessed your children within you.

15 He has established peace on your borders; *
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.

16 He sends out his command to the earth, *
and his word runs very swiftly.

17 He gives snow like wool; *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
who can stand against his cold?

19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *
he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.

20 He declares his word to Jacob, *
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.

21 He has not done so to any other nation; *
to them he has not revealed his judgments.
Hallelujah!

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.