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Don't Be A Pharisee (Stewardship Sunday)

  Matthew 22: 15-22 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8   Who would want to be a Pharisee? We don’t need a degree in theology to know that the 1st-century sect known as the Pharisees don’t come off too well in the Bible.    It’s strange in some ways; they were the ultra-religious.    They believed the right things – immortality of the soul, resurrection, and afterlife and emphasised ritual purity... trying to obey their interpretation of God’s laws, and calling on others to do the same.    You would have thought that they would welcome Jesus. But Jesus was not the sort of Messiah they were expecting - and the gospels tell the story of the increasing tension and conflict. ·          The Pharisees are generally depicted in the gospels as opponents of Jesus, critical of his behaviour, hostile in their questions.      Their meticulous observance of rules led to pride, and contempt or condemnation for the less observ...
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Harvest Thanksgiving

  Readings: 1 Timothy 6: 6-10 and Matthew 6: 25-33   Harvest is one of those times in the church calendar when we love to celebrate the rhythms of creation. We bring forward our produce and gifts, and we sing the familiar, comforting hymns about all being safely gathered in before the winter storms begin. It feels warm, stable, and deeply reassuring. Yet, if we are honest, for many of us in a comfortable, prosperous community, Harvest can feel just a little bit detached from our day-to-day reality. Most of us haven't spent the last six months anxiously scanning the skies for rain or praying over the health of a wheat crop. We don't get our food from a field; we get it from Sainsbury’s or Morrisons, or Waitrose if we want to avoid the riff raff! If we want strawberries in December, we buy them. If we want focaccia or sourdough bread, we don't pray for a good harvest; we simply tap our contactless card or phone. For a relatively affluent group, the great danger is...
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A Fruit - one of the nine a day we need.

  Philippians 2: 1-13     Matthew 21: 23-32   A Fruit one of the nine a day we need. My wife tells me every day about how humble and full of humility I am. Oh, sorry, I got that wrong; she reminds me of how I   lack both humbleness and humility.   I looked up the words Humility and humbleness. Humility:   Having a modest, unpretentious view of oneself;  not thinking less of yourself, or having low esteem, but thinking of yourself less;    shifting focus away from your ego to acknowledge your limits, to value others and stay open to learning. Having an accurate self-view, knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Other-centredness. Humbleness: The quality of being modest, free from pride, not thinking you are better or more important than other people. What is the opposite of humility? Arrogance? What is the opposite of humbleness?   Vanity? I don’t think these are listed as fruits of the Spirit. Arrogance: Offensive displa...
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