When I was in my late teens, and was at the peak of my interest in the charismatic movement, I had an experience of being ‘slain in the Spirit.’ While I don’t know what to make of that experience looking back, still there’s nothing quite like being pinned to the floor for a half hour … Continue reading Divine Glory and Human Weakness: A Reflection on Isaiah 6.1-8
One of the big questions in any religious or philosophical tradition is ‘What does a good (or holy) life look like?’ Often there are two poles, which we might call the ‘purity’ pole, where goodness is judged by adherence to rules and strictness of behaviour, and the ‘celebration’ pole, where goodness is judged instead on … Continue reading Of Water and Wine (And Joy!): A Reflection on John 2.1-11
Today, the Sunday after Epiphany, is when we here in the West commemorate the baptism of Jesus at the hands of John the Baptist. It’s a formative event in Jesus’ life, and functions as his ‘call to action’, marking him as special to those around him and confirming his identity. It’s also the narrative passing … Continue reading Ritual and Rebirth: A Reflection on the Baptism of Christ
There's no new Epiphany reflection from me this year, but here are some of my previous posts: Theme of Light God’s Shining Forth: A Reflection on Epiphany and Genesis 1.1-5 (2024) It Only Takes a Spark: A Reflection for Epiphany 2023 Arise! Shine! : A Reflection for Epiphany 2021 Theme of the Magi Wise Men … Continue reading Resources for Epiphany / Theophany
This past Summer in our study of Genesis 1-11, we saw how the Old Testament contains several different creation stories (Comparison of Creation Texts). The best-known stories, of God’s speaking the universe into existence over six days in Genesis 1 and the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2-3, appear to be relatively … Continue reading A New Creation Story: A Reflection on John 1.1-18
Matthew Root 