The Cross is freedom Holy Trinity Church Huddersfield - Sunday 28 April 2019 A difficult service for me. My mood before, during and after the service was not good. I had a minor autistic meltdown the evening before the service, was feeling fragile during the service and had a larger meltdown later that day. For …
Names of God: God is with us
Emmanuel or Immanuel Names of God - Part God is with us I am writing this in th Easter period because there is so much more to God being with us than the Christmas story. Jesus came, God in human form as prophesied by Isaiah, showed us how to live, taught us that love is …
Matthew’s Passion: Go
Matthew's Passion: Go Easter: 3 Matthew 28:16-20 One of my least favourite verses of any hymn is the verse usually sung last in Amazing Grace, it does not sit well with the rest of the hymn. That verse goes... When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining like the sun, We've no less days …
Matthew’s Passion: Conspiracy
Matthew's Passion: Conspiracy Easter: 2 Matthew 28:11-15 Jesus is risen, but in this version of the story has yet to meet his disciples. The story goes back to the guards on the tomb, who wer put there to prevent grave robbers, and instead become involved in the conspiracy. The guards' story does not hold up. …
Everything is different
Everything is different Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield, Sunday 21 April 2019 Hallelujah, Christ is risen. It is said that there is no such thing as a free lunch. That may well be, but there is free breakfast. We had one in church today before the morning service. A beautiful sunny morning where we were able …
Matthew’s Passion: Women’s work
Matthew's Passion: Women's work Easter: 1 Matthew 28:1-10 There is a meme going around Facebook and Twitter. It says, "In the interests of Biblical accuracy, all the preaching about the resurrection on Easter Sunday will be done by women." It has a point. All the disciples have fled and a few women watched from a …
Names of God – part 55: Our maker
Hoseenu Names of God - part 55 Our maker 40 Blogs of Lent: 40 The same meaning in English as last week's blog on this, but it is not really the same thing at all. Eloah 'Ashah was about a God who created me, Hoseenu is about transformation. Like a potter takes a lump of …
Matthew’s Passion: Guards, guards
Matthew's Passion: Guards, guards 40 Blogs of Lent: 39 Matthew 27:62-66 In 2006 my wife and I holidayed in Nesebar on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. In the Archaeological Museum there is a room dedicated to icons from the churches there. Icons depicting the burial or resurrection of Jesus painted during the occupation of …
Matthew’s passion: A Borrowed Grave
Matthew's passion: A Borrowed Grave 40 Blogs of Lent: 38 Matthew 27:57-61 It is an odd way to celebrate a victory, by being buried. A group of women had been among those who had witnessed God incarnate, God in human form, win the final victory over evil, over sin and even over death. The chains …
Matthew’s Passion: The cross is victory
Matthew's Passion: The dawn of the dead? 40 Blogs of Lent: 37 Matthew 27:51-56 What are we to make of the zombie apocalypse in Matthew's Gospel? Jesus dies, God dies and then tombs are opened and the dead roam the streets like a scene from The Dawn Of The Dead. The events in Matthew's Gospel …