Blessed is the No-Good Trickster

Jacob was a trickster: a grabby liar who swindled his brother out of a blessing, and an inheritance. Yet God chose Jacob as the father of Israel; and through Jesus, you are invited into the family, too.

A retelling of Genesis 25:19-28:5 given to Sanctuary, 16 July 2017 (AP10). You can listen here, or read here.

Alt*red State: A text of terror brings good news

The usual interpretation of the binding of Isaac is that God requires us to sacrifice everything, even, if asked, our own children. But could a contextual awareness provide a different and more life-giving reading?

Tonight's reflection on Genesis 22:1-14 is now available to read here, or to listen here. Given to Sanctuary, 2 July 2017 (AP08).

Ishmael, Isaac, and the Shared Inheritance

God’s blessing is granted across human boundaries; God listens to ‘us’, yes, but also attends to the cry of every Muslim in detention who has limited access to water on a hot day; God hears the cry of every migrant to the South West who is culturally isolated, and lonely, and a very long way from their father’s house...

Tonight's reflection on Genesis 21:8-21 is now available to listen here, or to read here. Image shows a detail from Hagar in the Wilderness (Camille Corot, 1796-1875, here).

Hope, love, and laughter

God is welcomed as a stranger. So what are the implications for us?

Tonight's reflection on Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7 from Sanctuary is available to read here, or listen here.

Image shows The Visit of the Three Angels, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46190 [retrieved June 18, 2017]

Wounded and scarred - and here!

Some of you might remember a television program called ‘Yes, Minister!’, which took a satirical look at how government really worked. In one episode, a new hospital was awarded an efficiency prize. It was later discovered to have 500 administrators—and no patients! I was thinking about churches and Christian communities when I remembered this episode, for it is impossible to be seriously involved in a church or Christian community without coming up against the hassle of sick and wounded people.