One of the most central, marked, and these days controversial aspects of Christianity is its proclamation of the forgiveness of sins. It is central in that Jesus preached about it a lot and Christianity would be unrecognizable without it, marked in that it’s not a common theme in world religions so it stands out, and … Continue reading Second Chances: A Reflection on John 20:19-31
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! These words are the core of the Christian proclamation. This is certainly true today, Easter Sunday, when we commemorate and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. But is not just true today. It is the core of the Christian proclamation in every moment, of every day. … Continue reading Manalive! A Reflection for Easter Sunday 2025
I have to admit that I generally struggle writing my Good Friday posts. I always find them a little awkward, not because there isn’t ‘good content’ there — there’s a whole Gospel worth of content there — but because, as a Christian, it’s very hard for me to talk about death without talking about resurrection. … Continue reading In the In-Between: A Reflection for Holy Saturday 2025
On Good Friday every year, we read the entirety of one of the Passion narratives, which means that today we get two whole, long chapters from the Gospel according to John. So, there are a lot of things one can touch on in a reflection or sermon on a day like today. A lot happens! … Continue reading At the Foot of the Cross: A Reflection for Good Friday 2025
As a kid, the Maundy Thursday service was always one of my favourites of the year. I was fascinated by the symbolism of the foot washing ceremony and always deeply moved by the stripping of the altar (and entire worship space) at the end of the service. But now that I’m in a season of … Continue reading A New Commandment (Just like the Old): A Reflection for Maundy Thursday 2025
Matthew Root 