Author Archives: Andrew Gillham

This week we think about what our motivation is in how we live, and ask ourselves: are we living the wrong life? (John 6:24-35)

Jesus seems superhuman, but is superhuman the right way to describe him?
Is there something more going on? If so, what does that mean for us?

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.” (Mark 6:41)

At the feeding of the 5000 the disciples’ role in organizing the people, distributing the bread and loaves, and collecting the leftovers teaches us to participate in God’s work to provide for others and to trust in God’s ability to meet our needs whilst working to show compassion and generosity to those around us.

“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his home town, among his relatives and in his own home.'” (Mark 6:4)

It turns out that procrastination until ‘tomorrow’ and nostalgia for ‘yesterday’ are both ways of avoiding the present moment, and the opportunities and the challenges it brings. In living our lives before God, we would be wise to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call on him while he is near.

“Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”” (Mark 5:36)

Both fear and faith can be strong motivators, but they create very different emotions. Fear creates an atmosphere of gloom and despair. Faith produces hope and excitement.

Jesus did tell us to fear hell and the temptations of the devil, but there was a stronger emphasis on faith. He inspired people to trust him, offering a vision of the Kingdom of God, marked by compassion, healing and even victory over death. Surely, his is a message and a performance that can truly inspire?

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear!” (Mark 4:9)

Have you got “ears to hear”? At one level this saying from Jesus which appears twice in Mark 4 seems to imply that deaf people are excluded and those who are not deaf should listen. But Mark 4 is a chapter full of parables, short stories or images that mean one thing on the surface but are meant to point to a deeper meaning.

“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:20-35)

As followers of Jesus, we are now family – Jesus the radical King is the head of the family and we bear his likeness, sharing his power and authority – sharing the ways of his kingdom and living in obedience – we have a family business of living out God’s kingdom in word and deed. Let’s encourage each other in that task.

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28)

God commanded the Sabbath for our good. As Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man.” Yes, Jesus also challenged the legalism that had been built up from human tradition around what could or could not be done on the Sabbath, because those Sabbath regulations had become a kind of slave master themselves. Yet he still saw the Sabbath as good for us.

Do we make sure we get the weekly day off work that God commands for our good? Or do we allow work to enslave us?

‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.’ (Romans 8:16-17a)

This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday where we reflect on the mystery and wonder of God, being Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not some sort of abstract description of God. The Trinity bears witness to the fact that the life of God is shared life – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in relationship with each other, distinct but one.

This shared life between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a life we’ve been invited in to. We are part of that relationship – we’ve been co-opted into the family.

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

This weekend Fiona and I celebrate twenty years serving at St. Luke’s in Ramsgate. God has been at work during those twenty years. People have come to faith and others have found a Christian home and family within the church or been helped in their walk of discipleship. People come and go, but the Christian faith is not ultimately about filling a building. Rather, as the verse above says, it is about God building a community of people to fill it with his Holy Spirit. Let us pray for God to do that more and more in the future!