john 15: 9-17

We're back in Mark's gospel and in the midst of a controversy over how to understand and interpret Scripture. Very particularly, the issue at hand for Jesus is the character of God. Sermon to follow.

A number of the preachers whose sermons appear on this site have worried that having sermons posted makes preachers lazy! The sermons are not meant to replace the wrestling with the texts that is vital preparation for preaching. Those of us who preach pass on our experiences of engagement with the texts; sermons, like study and preparation, should never be second-hand. Ideally, you'd read the texts, then the reflections and sermon, and then craft your own sermon in conversation with your specific context. That's how the site is designed to work.

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Welcome to disclosing new worlds. I hope you find it useful in your weekly preparation for Sunday's service. There is a triple feature to each week: a reflection on each of the lectionary texts, a sermon (from a variety of preachers) that draws us into a transformative conversation with the texts, and an original hymn that follows the Lectionary cycle from Revd Alan Hinton. There are a number of supporting essays to explore particular issues in depth.

Please take the time to leave a comment, question or observation if possible. It means that visitors are able to further the exploration of the week's texts.

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