(Psalm 66) 10 May 2020Jill Sutton Dearest friends at St Ninians, Neil has asked me to do this little reflection because I boasted to him about getting a letter published on the website of an organisation called Christians for an Ethical Society. I am only on the committee of that organisation because of the goodwill … [Read more…]
(John 10.1-10) 3 May 2020Neil Millar In rural Australia we tend to drove and corral sheep using dogs, horses and utes. In many other parts of the world it’s not like that. Two years ago, almost to the day, I was on pilgrimage across the plains of La Mancha in Spain, when I saw a … [Read more…]
Reflection for Easter 326 April 2020 – Neil Millar It’s interesting to think about the situations described in the Bible when God appeared to humans. ‘The men and women involved in most of those appearances were not leading necessarily wonderful lives’, writes Emily Sax in her blog To Unearth. ‘God did not appear to and … [Read more…]
(John 20.19-31) – Easter 2 Reflection(19 April 2020) – Neil Millar In Chapter 20 of John’s gospel there are four vignettes of resurrection – four brief scenes offered as testimony that Jesus has been raised from the dead. First, there’s Mary Magdalene’s pre-dawn discovery of the stone rolled away from the tomb and the race … [Read more…]
(Matthew 28.1-15)12 April 2020 – Neil Millar Over the past few days, we have been participating in a great work – what the early church called ‘the liturgy’, the ‘work of the people’. For many today, this work, this commitment to word and silence, reflection and prayer, seems unfamiliar, even odd. And when you think … [Read more…]
(Matthew 27 1-31)10 April 2020 – Neil Millar There’s a terrible violence in Matthew’s account of Good Friday. It starts with the authorities’ refusal to accept Judas’ repentance. He’s served his purpose. No one cares about him anymore, and his remorse is cast back in his face. ‘What are your second thoughts to us?’ Left … [Read more…]
(Matthew 26.14-16) 9 April 2020 – Neil Millar This evening, we are journeying into the heart of the paschal mystery. All week, we’ve been conscious of the crisis coming to a head, the fomenting of hostility, the agitation of the authorities and instability of the crowd. Judas has been looking for an opportunity to betray … [Read more…]
(Matthew 27.1-17)5 April 2020 – Neil Millar Today we begin the final week of our Lenten journey and the reading hints at a key touchstone of redemption: the capacity to see things as they are and to respond accordingly – the capacity to discern appearances, to recognize what really is good and true and holy, … [Read more…]
Over recent weeks, I have taken the advice of the health experts and chosen to stay within the confines of my home during the Covid-19 pandemic. During my time in self imposed isolation I have mulled over the statements of politicians, health experts and the media who claim that we are living in unprecedented times. … [Read more…]
Dear Friends The Covid-19 pandemic is bearing down on us and life has changed dramatically in recent weeks. Government directives restrict our movements. We are unable to gather for worship and normal activities –in ‘lockdown’. This ‘spatial distancing’ has caused me to think about the experience of loneliness, and how we can be with it. … [Read more…]