Joseph went to bed that night with a lot on his mind. If it wasn’t enough that the Romans were propping up that blasphemous charlatan Herod, his own fiancee, Mary, was pregnant – and not to him. What on earth was God up to? My sermon on Matthew 1:18-25 from Preston High Street UCA A […]
What does the resurrection of Jesus mean? What is it to “believe” in the resurrection? Ultimately, does it, or anything, really matter?
What’s the most precious thing you own? Would you give it up? Would you give it to the man who saved your brother’s life?
A broken, inarticulate sermon preached in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch Mosque shootings. The world can seem like a very dark place some days, and it is hard to preach a message of hope. Nonetheless, this is what I am called to do.
Jesus, led by the Spirit, was tempted in the wilderness for forty days. It’s all very well for him – he is, after all, God’s son. But what does it mean for us?
The story of Jesus’ transfiguration is, even by Scriptural standards, pretty mysterious. What does it mean for the disciples to see Jesus’ “glory”? Why did his face shine? Why were Moses and Elijah there? And, most of all, why were they terrified when the cloud came down?
Jesus tells us to love our enemies, do good to those who hurt us, not to judge, to do to other people what we would have them do to us. Is that possible? Is it even desirable?
After a long night of unsuccessful fishing, Simon sits on the shore and reflects on his weird week. Little does he know that what he is about to see will change him forever.
Imagine that Jesus walked into our service here, today. I it’s likely that I would offer him the pulpit – even though I have worked pretty hard on writing my sermon. I can imagine myself taking a chair, leaning forward interestedly to hear what he has to say. This is more or less precisely the […]
What actually is the Good News? Today’s gospel goes to the nub of that question. In Luke’s account of Jesus’ ministry, the first words we hear him speak in public are these: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent […]
Alister Pate