The call and preaching of Jesus in Mark 1

The Sunday gospel lectionary for the Third Sunday before Advent at the end of this Year B is Mark 1.14-20, the beginning of Jesus’ active ministry in Galilee following his baptism in the Jordan and testing in the wilderness. I have to say I have foundย what the lectionary does with the opening chapter of Mark’s … Continue Reading

The beginning of the gospel community in Matt 4 video discussion

This Sundayโ€™s lectionary reading for Year A, Epiphany 3, is Matt 4.12โ€“23. It begins the account of Jesusโ€™ ministry in Galilee, which continues until Matt 16.20 (compare โ€˜from that time onโ€™ in Matt 4.17 with Matt 16.21), and now Jesus takes centre stage as the main actor in the drama. But from the beginning, he … Continue Reading

Where is the dragon in the nativity?

Thereโ€™s a scene in the film Love Actually where a little girl announces that sheโ€™ll be playing โ€œfirst lobsterโ€ in the school nativity play. โ€œThere was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?โ€ asks her surprised mum, which leads the girl to sigh in exasperation at such profound levels of parental ignorance. … Continue Reading

Challenging Christmas myths on shepherds, swaddling, and support for the holy family

Christmas is a time for celebration, for feasting and for relationships. But it is also a time for a mild engagement in iconoclasm, as we peel back the layers of accreted tradition and recover the origins of the Christmas gospelโ€”something which needs to happen every year, it seems. In that spirit (and Spirit) I offer … Continue Reading

The preaching and call of Jesus in Mark 1

The Sunday gospel lectionary for the Third Sunday before Advent at the end of this Year B is Mark 1.14-20, the beginning of Jesus’ active ministry in Galilee following his baptism in the Jordan and testing in the wilderness. I have to say I have foundย what the lectionary does with the opening chapter of Mark’s … Continue Reading