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.