Visit Greece in the footsteps of St Paul in April 2027
I am planning to lead a study trip to Greece in the footsteps of St Paul, from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 29th April 2027 inclusive visiting Thessaloniki, Philippi, Berea, Meteroa, Delphi, Corinth, and Athens. It is a great time of year to go, as the weather is warm but not too hot, the sites are less busy, and for those in ministry it avoids the major church festivals. Going midweek to midweek also means only missing one Sunday. Full details below, and in the PDF brochure here: Greece trip April 2027. To reserve your place, email Steve Upton at [email protected]…
Gospel commentary index Lectionary Year A
On this page, you can find an index to all the commentary articles on the gospel lectionary readings for the whole of Year A, together with links to the video discussions between Ian and James. The articles will be reposted with updates during the year—but they are listed here for convenience and planning ahead.
Not under law but under grace in Romans 6 video discussion
For Trinity 4 we continue reading in Romans 6. Paul continues to anticipate objections to his radical claims about the freedom that we now have in Christ. To do so, he draws parallels between our old way of life and new life in Christ. Whereas we were slaves to sin, we are now slaves to righteousness. But that parallel breaks down, because the two masters are so different. Slave pays its wage (death), but righteousness offers us the gift of new life in Christ by his grace. Hidden within this passage is both Paul’s partially realised eschatology—and as a result,…
Why we need to be reading printed Bibles
It’s not uncommon in churches, when the time comes for the Bible reading, to see people reach not for a printed pew Bible, but for their phones, to read the…
Thinking Christianly about smart phones
The Government’s proposed ‘ban’ on smart phones raises some vital issues about how as Christians we think about technology. What is actually at issue here? There are questions of young…
How does Jesus help us stay faithful under pressure in Matthew 10?
The gospel reading for Trinity 3 in Year A is Matthew 10.24–39—we continue to work through Jesus’ teaching on mission in Matthew 10, but the lectionary has jumped across from…
Baptised into new life in Christ in Romans 6 video discussion
In Romans 6, Paul uses the actions of baptism (going down into the waters of death, coming up to breathe the air of new life) to explain our new status…
Should the Church be saving the planet, or saving people?
Sir Paul Marshall, the owner of GB News, has apparently committed the unforgivable sin. Instead of seeking to save the planet from global warming, he has contributed money to the…
Visit Greece in the footsteps of St Paul in April 2027
I am planning to lead a study trip to Greece in the footsteps of St Paul, from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 29th April 2027 inclusive visiting Thessaloniki, Philippi, Berea, Meteroa,…
The calling and sending of the twelve apostles in Matthew 9 and 10
At last! After the detours in Luke-Acts and John for the series of feasts around Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity, the lectionary finally brings us back to the Gospel according to…
Peace, hope, and the love of God in Romans 5 video discussion
The epistle for Trinity 2 is the same as it was for Lent 3, Romans 5.1–8, so I link here the video discussion we previously recorded. The gospel is Jesus’…
Henry Nowak, racial justice, and the Church of England
The columns of our newspapers and our feeds on social media have been filled with the debate about the political issues raised by the tragic murder of Southampton student Henry…
The prophetic proclamation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Gerry Lynch writes: Starting in 1972, the animal psychologist Francine Patterson began to teach an infant gorilla named Koko a modified form of American Sign Language. Patterson claimed Koko could…
