Reflections For Sunday, Northdene (2026)

31/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 3 September 2023
Matthew 16:21-28
MESSAGE
Peter had just confessed Jesus as the messiah and Jesus had said, on this rock I will build my Church, I give you the keys of the Kingdom. Now Jesus unpacks what being the Messiah involves. Interestingly despite the language of Kingdom seeming to imply that the opposition to Jesus would come from the political leaders, Jesus makes it clear his suffering will be at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. And that begins with Peter, this rock on which the church will be built, this one to whom the keys to the Kingdom has been given. Peter starts the suffering, by not accepting the way of Jesus thinking he knows better. Jesus identifies this attitude (I know better) as Satan. The way of Jesus is to forget yourself, pick up the cause for which God calls you (the cross), and follow Jesus. Like with Moses, if we believe in ourselves we are of no use to the LORD, the more we believe in the LORD the less we believe in ourselves, for the task at hand cannot be done believing in ourselves, only by believing in the LORD.

31/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 3 September 2023
Romans 12:9-21
MESSAGE
Key to this passage are the words “as Christians” the consistent danger is that we turn these high standards into admission criteria. We are nearing the end of the letter to Romans do not separate this passage from what has gone before nor read it backwards. Remember the Israelites were free of Egypt before the LORD gave them the commandments, Moses was not given the law the first time he encountered God on mount Saini and go to Egypt with the challenge, here is what you have to do to achieve your freedom. Likewise what Paul is challenging us to here in Romans 12 is how to behave as Christians, not how to become Christians. The standards are for us to keep, not to impose on everyone around us. The standards are necessarily high, for what is the point of following Jesus if anything goes, would you want to join . . . (well almost anything) where anything goes. No high standards are what attracts us to join. The standards are meant to be so high that we loose confidence in ourselves (I can never achieve that) if there is one person in all the world in all of history I must not have faith in it is ME! A Christian is a person whose confidence is in the LORD, with Jesus, with other Christians we can achieve these ideals.

29/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 3 September 2023
Psalm 105:1-6, 23- 26, 45b
MESSAGE
This Psalm gives thanks for the great things the LORD has done, and instructs the telling of these things to the nations. However the things spoken about are great for the nation of Israel, they are not so great for Egypt, and other “enemies.” And surely the nations across the world have their own stories to tell. It makes for an important and complex reflection, how should we proclaim what the LORD has done when it is personal and specific. If we get it wrong it makes us look like we are better than others, and the nations will think poorly of the LORD. Perhaps the answer is to be personal, this is my (our) story, what the LORD has done for me (us), without saying therefore you should think him great or that he must do the same for you. And listening to their stories, and seeking to point out that the LORD has also been good to them even if they were/are not aware of it.

28/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 3 September 2023
Exodus 3:1-15
MESSAGE
So much of Moses’ discovery of himself and the LORD happened on mount Sinai. It began with seeing, and ended with hearing. To see is to trust yourself, are my eyes (or perception) to be trusted, is what I see understood correctly? Moses saw and to his credit decided to look closer. To hear is to trust another, are your words to be trusted, have I understood you correctly. Moses encounter with the LORD on mount Sinai was all about hearing. What Moses heard on that mountain was a calling of his name Moses (drawn out). The LORD is who sees us, still calls “where are you” he knocks but we need to hear his voice. Moses answered “Here I am.” All encounters with the LORD become real when we hear his call and answer “Here I am” There are many “burning bushes” through which the LORD seeks to draw our attention, and the LORD is constantly calling us, if the LORD is absent from our lives, from our world, it is an absence on noticing, an absence of answering, our eyes and ears closed. One can go into details of the discussion with Moses, but I want to draw out some themes that are true for each one of us. 1. Where we are is holy ground, we are not here by accident, the LORD put us here for a reason. 2. Identity is tied with people, past, present and future generations form part of who we are. 3. The LORD needs us. This is the greatest act of love possible, to say without you I am incomplete. 4. We become useful to the LORD out of self doubt, to be sure of oneself is the opposite of faith, faith is being sure of the LORD! 5. To know the LORD is to know in part. That is the meaning of the name “I AM, who I AM” or “I will be, who I will be” I AM everything you have ever learned about me – but more. I AM everything you are thinking right now – and more. I AM everything you will still discover about me – and more. The moment we think we have the LORD figured out, we have an idol and not the living LORD.

23/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 27 August 2023
Romans 12:1-8
MESSAGE
What is worship? A closer look a scripture will reveal that worship has less to do with singing and praying, and everything to do with sacrifice. We make sacrifices all the time, we give things up to gain something else. How much we are willing to sacrifice is directly proportional to how much we think it is worth (ie worship). How much do we think God is worth? Is he worth all I am, all I have, all I desire? What form will our worship take this Sunday? What will we lay on the alter of sacrifice? Hear Paul’s plea: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him.

22/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 28 August 2023
Psalm 124
MESSAGE
The people of God are a people with a memory. A memory of desperate times, were it not for the LORD’s help we would not have made it. Entering into the LORD’s presence is gratitude for past help, asking in faith for present help, trusting obedience in future help - to the LORD who made heaven and earth.

22/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 27 August 2023
Exodus 1:8-2:10
MESSAGE
A story fitting neatly into the larger story of salvation. By examining some of the details we see how some common themes of salvation are imbedded within every story. “A new king who knew nothing about Joseph” How much of our present struggle arises from amnesia, forgetting history? Whether it is we who forget why we came here, or others who forget that they would not be here without us. The way evil works is to promise us freedom but give us enslavement. While evil is doing its worst God is at work. The story of Moses beautifully shows this. God uses people to fulfil His purposes, note how prominent a role women play in this, the midwives Shiphrah and Puah, Moses’ mother, sister, and the kings’ daughter. The command (throw every male child into the river) was turned into a free choice, which led to salvation. Note the cross of Jesus follows this same pattern. Moses was drawn out of the river, so that years later he can be used by God to draw the people out of slavery.

16/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 20 August 2023
Matthew 15: (10- 20), 21-28
MESSAGE
This is a pivotal moment in the story of Jesus, and all pivotal moments are it is a teaching opportunity. The question is who needs to do the learning? 1. Is the woman to learning that she has value and must stand up for herself against prejudice? If so her actions and words show that it was an unnecessary lesson. 2. Is Jesus learning that his mission is different from what he originally thought, that he must value this woman and not be prejudiced? If so his actions and words make perfect sense, accept for the fact that he chose to go into gentile territory, and shows an inconsistent aspect of all he was about. 3. Is the Disciples to learn the lesson that Jesus is not simply a savour of a nation, but the saviour of all. If so his actions and words make sense as he uses (like at other times) the presence of good understanding and faith in “gentiles” to highlight bad understanding and faith in the disciples. 4. Is Matthew who is writing primarily to a Jewish audience telling the story in such a way as to highlight that Jesus is not simply the Messiah of a nation but of all the world. “The lost sheep of the people of Israel” calls to mind the story of Joseph struggling with God (from last week), and how Joseph, like this woman, refused to let go until a blessing is given, and gets a new name “Israel”. So the woman’s actions can possibly be showing that she is a lost sheep of the people of Israel.

16/08/2023

Reflections on Sunday 20 August 2023
Romans 11:1- 2a, 29-32
God chooses imperfect people to his purpose. A purpose that will always be beyond our grasp, it has to be - to perfectly grasp God’s will is to not need God. Our failures do not disqualify us from God’s choice, only the chosen can fail (Those not chosen do not answer to the same standard). God will not give up on his chosen, the chosen must not give up reaching to God’s purpose (must keep getting up after falling).

15/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 20 August 2023
Psalm 133
MESSAGE
It is truly wonderful when [family/church] is together in harmony. The reason it is so wonderful is because it is not always the case. A family/church that only knows harmony does not find it wonderful, they know nothing else. It is when the harmony breaks through the discord that its truly wonderful. When family/church reconcile after hostility we become a blessing to each other, we experience the best of family life, and find God at work in our midst getting a taste of what eternity will be like.

14/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 20 August 2023
Genesis 45:1-15
MESSAGE
Last week (sorry for not posting I had a few days off) the story of Joseph included him acting like a spoilt brat, and his brothers selling him into slavery. We skip the whole journey of Jacob, a story of repeatedly being pushed down and clawing his way to the top. We also skip the background of this part of the story, of the famine in Canaan of the early encounters of Joseph (unrecognised) with his brothers in which he toys with their emotions. So we get to this passage of him revealing himself and reconciling with his brothers. How could Joseph so completely forgive the grievous actions of his brothers? Perhaps because Joseph had somehow overcome their evil actions, so he was no longer a victim but had attained great power and influence. But this may lead us to think that we can only forgive once we have overcome the wrong done. We should rather listen to Joseph himself, he could forgive, because he believed God was working behind the scenes. While you were plotting evil, God was already at work with far reaching goals. It is this belief that enabled Joseph to rise above his circumstances, it is this belief that enabled Jesus forgive from the cross, it is this belief that enables any person encountering evil to overcome. While evil has the intention to destroy us, God has an intention to use us for the greater good. Focus on what is happening to me, and evil will overcome us. Focus on what God can do through me, and God will overcome through us. We can, we must forgive, for if we hold on the wrongs done against us we will never know the great things God can achieve through us.

02/08/2023

Reflections for Sunday 6 August 2023
Matthew 14:13-21
MESSAGE
This passage deals more with coping with struggles than with feeding multitudes. It begins with Jesus struggling with the news of John (the Baptist) who had been beheaded by Herod. John was not only family of Jesus but also an important part of his ministry. All Jesus wanted was just some space where he could mourn and just have time with his Father. The people however had their own struggles and hearing Jesus was nearby flocked to him, wanting him to deal with their struggles, what Jesus wanted was irrelevant to them, they wanted him. Jesus then puts his own needs aside and filled with pity helps them. At the end of that day the disciples possibly themselves struggling with weariness and hunger, ask Jesus to send the crowds away to get food, but Jesus tells them to feed the people. Admitting that they hardly have enough for their own needs they would struggle to help so many. Jesus simply asked them to bring it to him, blessing the food, he gave it back to the disciples to share and somehow everyone had enough and there was more left over than they started with. From all this a basic principal emerges, the best way to deal with struggles, is to help others with their struggles. If we only have a little, the best way is to share with others, little somehow achieves more good when, with the blessing of Jesus, is shared. “You give them something” is the way to have everyone satisfied (including yourself) send them away so we do not have to share may leave everyone including ourselves unsatisfied.

Reflections For Sunday

31/08/2023

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