(1 Thessalonians 1.2-12)Rev Sue Hanna Thank you so much for inviting me here this morning. It is a joy to share with you my insights into the life of St Ninian. I am very aware that for this community, the life of St Ninian is a path that is very well worn, so I hope … [Read more…]
(Genesis 1.1 – 2.3) – 6 September 2020Neil Millar There are at least three stories of creation in the bible, and this is the first. The second follows on from this – the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden, and a third is found in John’s gospel. Each story offers profound truths, each … [Read more…]
(Exodus 2.23 – 3.15) – 30 August 2020Neil Millar There’s no question that Moses rose to be one of Israel’s great leaders, perhaps their greatest, and yet his beginnings in life, and leadership, were more than a little shaky. From last week’s reading we know that he only survived his childhood because of the actions … [Read more…]
(Exodus 1.8-2.10) 23 August 2020Neil Millar Over the next two months, the Old Testament readings in the lectionary come from the book of Exodus. I’m not going to preach on all of these but I do want to spend these final Sundays in August in the opening chapters. In chapter 1, as you’ve just heard, … [Read more…]
(Matthew 15.21-28) – 16 August 2020Neil Millar If you’re like me, you’re both delighted and perplexed by this story. Delighted by this Canaanite woman’s faithful insistence and what it achieves for her daughter. And perplexed by the way Jesus speaks to her, at least initially; by his apparent disrespect and rudeness, which seems so out … [Read more…]
(Matthew 14.22-33) – 9 August 2020Neil Millar During my childhood and teenage years, I spent a lot of time ‘messing around in boats’, to quote Ratty’s words to his friend Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s wonderful book The Wind in the Willows. I loved sailing and spent most summer weekends racing dinghys somewhere around Sydney – … [Read more…]
(Genesis 32.22-32) – 2 AugustNeil Millar Last week, we left Jacob serving out a second seven years in Laban’s household in exchange for Rachel, as a wife. This morning, it picked up a further six years later. After twenty years in Haran, Jacob is finally leaving. There have been trials, but these have not broken … [Read more…]
(Genesis 29.1-28) – 26 July 2020Neil Millar Our reading this morning, took up where we left off last week – following on from Jacob’s dream. In that dream, God promised to be with Jacob, as with Isaac and Abraham, and through his offspring to bless all the families of the earth. Jacob made a vow … [Read more…]
Genesis 28.10-22 (19 July 2020)Neil Millar In the unfolding Jacob narrative, much has taken place since a youthful Jacob duped his twin-brother Esau into selling his birthright for ‘a mess of pottage’ (as the saying goes). Sometime after that incident, Jacob made a clean sweep of the inheritance process by tricking his father Isaac into … [Read more…]
Genesis 25.19-34 (12 July 2020)© Neil Millar In recent weeks, we’ve been reflecting on the book of Genesis – stories of the patriarchs (or ancestors as they’re sometimes called). Two weeks ago, we pondered Abraham and the Akedah, the perplexing tale of the ‘binding’ of Isaac. Last week it was Isaac and Rebekah in ordinary … [Read more…]