Thursday 24 October 2013

Thought for the Week Bible Study 27th Oct 2013

The Bible is not the word of God. It may contain the word of God, in the way that a womb may contain a baby. But the womb is not the baby. Scripture may become the word of God under the inspiration of the Spirit, and often does. But it is heretical and idolatrous to imagine that the word of the living God can be objectified in such a way that it exists within and is limited by a set of printed words on a page. The word of God cannot be separated from the relational presence of God. The word of God is the self-communication of God, and therefore is dynamically connected to the person of God. One cannot know the word of God without knowing God.
Michael Riddell The threshold of the future (SPCK, 1998)

Luke   (4.16-24)
When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.  He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:  ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.  They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’
He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.”’  And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town.’

Friday 11 October 2013

Thought for the Week Twentieth Sunday after Trinity


Loving God,
out of our homelessness
we turn to you;
out of our helplessness
we come to you;
out of our hunger,
out of our pain
we return to you.
In love,
deep love
we come.
Stand beside us,
comfort our helplessness,
feed our hunger,
tend out pain,
hear our cry
and welcome us home.
Kate McIIlhagga

Sunday 6 October 2013

Thought for the week Harvest Festival

For farmers and for fishermen
Lord, bless the holy seed
Outshine the fresh fruit from your plot
Unearth the good things you have got
Rejoice in heart and deed
Love’s labour lasts however long
And will show signs but heed
Toil for the foods that fail to rot
Eat of the bread from heaven’s plot
Rejoice in souls you feed
ARH

John.            (6: 25-35)
When they found Jesus on the other side of the sea, the crowd said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’
Then they said to Jesus, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’  They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’