We're at the point in the liturgical year when the calendar is moving very quickly. Over just the past ten weeks or so we've zoomed through the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, and we're now just three days before the start of Lent. And, in those churches which follow the common lectionary, that means … Continue reading Hearts Unveiled
As I've been chatting with friends, family, and colleagues this week, a theme that's stood out has been that doing new things is hard. Of course we all know this. But we're in unprecedented circumstances, and that means we're all doing new things every day. For some it's learning how to work from home. For … Continue reading Walking in the Dark: A reflection on John 9.1-41
An image has come to my mind often lately, originally from one of those great BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough. It's an image of a barren and parched landscape that is suddenly flooded by waters flowing down from the mountains, and within a few days is completely transformed, the water unleashing the … Continue reading Refreshment and Rest: Reflections on John 4 and 2020
An evangelical pastor friend of mine once told me the story of how, a number of years before, he had wanted to do something special for his wife. Life in the church isn’t easy, for spouses as much as for pastors themselves, and through it all, she had stuck with it and with him with … Continue reading Love’s Lavish Gift (A Reflection on John 12.1-8)
As I was reading the Gospel this morning, I was struck by a single word: daily. In the passage, Peter has just correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah, but now Jesus must redefine for the disciples what that means. Being the Messiah doesn’t mean triumph, liberation and power — at least not as they expected … Continue reading Grace for Today (A Lenten Reflection on Luke 9.18-25)
Matthew Root 