Virtual Methodist

Over the past 6 months I've been reading Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg's amazing "The Murmuring Deep" - a profound commentary on various parts of the Hebrew scriptures and their associated midrashes. In it she draws on, not only the creative discourse between rabbis down through the centuries but also the insights of literature, art and crucially psychology and psychoanalysis. It has been an eye-opening and mind-stretching journey. Along the way I've posted a few quotes on social media - its made me look smarter than I am - they're only the bits I understand. This afternoon I finished reading it, with her reflection on the story of Ruth and Boaz. Its better than doing battle with my tax return! But with my mind full of tributes to Seamus Mallon, who lived a life dedicated to helping others, and the upcoming 4 Corners Festival on the theme of "Building a City of Grace" I came across a passage that deals with how Boaz was remembered for his act of c

The various historic creeds fascinate me, and I have preached countless sermons and written different documents and reflections based on them over the years, but I am very wary of seeing them as extended shibboleths, guaranteeing entry into the Christian club, comprehensive lists of essential beliefs or as in any way transformative. I see them rather as historic windows on specific issues within the family of faith at particular times. Useful but only to a limited degree. I suppose that was on my mind when I wrote this a couple of months ago, but I didn't publish it at the time and the moment passed. But I found it again today when I opened a notepad I was using for something else and it resonated again, perhaps because of a news story today that has Jim Bakker, that paragon of Christian orthodoxy stating, in a pushback to the recent editorial in Christianity Today, that if you don't love Trump you can't be saved... and that only "saved" people love Trump... An

Treading ground that many others have covered before me. There has been much mockery about the impracticality of the gifts and suggestions that wise women would have chosen better, but behind the mockery there is a deeper question. The gifts are clearly seen as symbolic by Matthew  and whilst the simple king, priest, sacrifice triad of "we three kings" etc is obviously way too simple it is by no means certain what was intended. Or indeed whether these were suitable gifts at all or whether the magi had not only misjudged the birthplace of the new king but also the nature of his kingship. Gold. Suitable for a King. But probably one like Herod Or an Emperor like Augustine Not the King born in Bethlehem And crowned in Jerusalem With thorns. Frankincense. Aromatic Arabian resin Might sweeten the smell of a stable Or enhance the smell of a sacrifice Offered up by the priesthood To ameliorate the bloodlust Of their god. Myrrh. Another Ara

Starting 2020 in similar vein to where I left off in 2019,  thinking about how we deal with the past and with fear of the future. In this I pick up on the legend concerning the location of the Omphalos (navel) at the centre of the world by Zeus. He supposedly set off twin eagles from either end of the Earth and they met over Delphi, which was the site of the mysterious oracle of Apollo. In later Christian tradition the "omphalos" was said to be in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a place which again has not been devoid of conflict. The place where two eagles meet Past and future fighting on the wing While down below The profound present Remains to be explored. Selah