Pastors Pen

Let the Spirit flow… May 11, 2025 Scripture: Acts 9:36-42 The city of Joppa in Israel was a well-known coastal port city some 30 miles northwest of Jerusalem.  And in Joppa there lived a disciple of Jesus’ whose Hebrew name was Tabitha.  As the city was a center of commerce and international trade there were […]

Who was this man…and why did he have to ask three times? May 4, 2025 Scripture: John 21:1-17  I find it curious that so many times throughout the gospel accounts people seem to be unsure of who Jesus is, seem unable to recognize him, even amongst those closest to him. Even in today’s reading, after

‘Cross Makers’…an Easter Story April 20, 2025 Scripture: Luke 24:1-12 The brothers Lucan and Silvanus lived and worked in Jerusalem. Born into a working class Roman family they were sons of a well known carpenter who originally hailed from Antioch. Early on in the two brothers’ lives their parents decided to relocate southward to Jerusalem

Who’s that talking’? April 13, 2025 Scripture: Luke 19:28-40 I would like to focus today on an aspect of the Palm Sunday story that at least for me, has long been overlooked.  As we listened to today’s passage, surely we felt the tension, we sensed the crowd’s excited anticipation, as we heard the shouts of

Prodigal love? April 6, 2025 Communion with Apostles Creed Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 The word ‘prodigal’ is an interesting one. And one which I must confess I did not understand fully for much of my life. Probably because I never looked up the definition, but also because I always assumed that the

‘Keep the love light shining…’ March 23, 2025 Scriptures: Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, Luke 13:6-9 Today is the third Sunday in Lent, and though it may seem like we have not spent much time talking about it, we have in fact been sharing of the need to prepare, to be clear eyed and aware

Faith in times of  grave uncertainty… March 9, 2025 Scripture: Luke 4:1-13 There are those whom I know among us who do not care to ever mix faith and politics. And that is because Church life and issues and political noise somehow seem like inappropriate bedfellows. And regardless of how many times I have said

‘…with shining faces’ March 2, 2025 Scriptures: Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, Luke 9:28-36 All three of our scripture references this morning refer to a certain glow or shine that is directly related to the glory, or the presence of the Lord. In our first reading we hear that Moses, upon speaking with the Lord

‘the measure you give…’ February 23, 2025 Scriptures: Genesis 45:3-11, 15,1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50, Luke 6:27-38 I would submit, that our whole gospel reading today is about what I would term, ‘contrast community’, an idea or concept that speaks to a ‘difference’, that is supposed to have been planted in our DNA as followers of

You are mine… February 9, 2025 Scriptures: Isaiah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11         So…as I sat down to try and put thoughts into words earlier in the week, I found I was distracted by all the noise and chaos that comes to us in the guise of ‘news’ each evening. I have actually