From the Minister 2023
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May
May 11
Preacher’s Insights
What’s in a name? My Apostolic namesake two thousand years ago asked this of the philosophers in Athens. He chided them for their altar ‘to an unknown god’. It opens the way for a discussion about the significance of the name of God. Was God being evasive when he answered Moses with the inscrutable ‘I am who I am’? Paul’s sermon then has proved an inspiration to Christians ever since. On Sunday next we’ll investigate some possible reasons for this.
Kind regards,
Paul.
Preacher’s Insights
What’s in a name? My Apostolic namesake two thousand years ago asked this of the philosophers in Athens. He chided them for their altar ‘to an unknown god’. It opens the way for a discussion about the significance of the name of God. Was God being evasive when he answered Moses with the inscrutable ‘I am who I am’? Paul’s sermon then has proved an inspiration to Christians ever since. On Sunday next we’ll investigate some possible reasons for this.
Kind regards,
Paul.
May 4
Preacher’s Insights
Having had the privilege of preaching in our Pilgrim People services for a few month, I reflect on a rich variety of topics and ‘occasions’ that we’ve shared: Easter and ANZAC Day were among them. I hope you agree that there’s never a dull moment. Well, this coming Sunday is also an occasion. Not many of us remember the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and I’m sure we’ll have memories of the 2023 coronation of her son, King Charles III. You won’t be surprised to know that this almost once in a lifetime event will get a mention on Sunday. indeed, with hymns selected from the coronation service, the sermon will examine the unique fusion in the coronation service of sacred and secular, and the meaning of power and authority in the world today.
Kind regards,
Paul.
Preacher’s Insights
Having had the privilege of preaching in our Pilgrim People services for a few month, I reflect on a rich variety of topics and ‘occasions’ that we’ve shared: Easter and ANZAC Day were among them. I hope you agree that there’s never a dull moment. Well, this coming Sunday is also an occasion. Not many of us remember the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and I’m sure we’ll have memories of the 2023 coronation of her son, King Charles III. You won’t be surprised to know that this almost once in a lifetime event will get a mention on Sunday. indeed, with hymns selected from the coronation service, the sermon will examine the unique fusion in the coronation service of sacred and secular, and the meaning of power and authority in the world today.
Kind regards,
Paul.
April
April, 27
Preacher’s Insights
Ever been scammed? I haven’t, but I imagine that for those who have, it’s a sickening feeling, having one’s trusted data management system electronically violated. It’s hardly biblical, I know, but perhaps it’s a metaphor for the focus we have in Sunday’s service: the difference between those who would do us harm on the one hand, and the Good Shepherd on the other. It’s an ancient parable, in fact it’s the only parable in the fourth gospel. It deserves our thoughts, and our attention to its implications.
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Kind regards,
Paul
Preacher’s Insights
Ever been scammed? I haven’t, but I imagine that for those who have, it’s a sickening feeling, having one’s trusted data management system electronically violated. It’s hardly biblical, I know, but perhaps it’s a metaphor for the focus we have in Sunday’s service: the difference between those who would do us harm on the one hand, and the Good Shepherd on the other. It’s an ancient parable, in fact it’s the only parable in the fourth gospel. It deserves our thoughts, and our attention to its implications.
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Kind regards,
Paul
|
April, 20
Preacher’s Insights This Sunday 23rd April is the Sunday before ANZAC Day, and since we are not planning to conduct a service on the 25th, as we previously did at St Andrews, we’ll worship on Sunday with ANZAC Day and all it means in our minds. We’ll remember the fallen and pray for peace. ANZAC Day means so many different things to everyone – gratitude to those who served, regret for those lost, admiration of their courage, compassion for those families they left behind, and respect for their sacrifice. And we’ll look forward in hope for a better way to resolve conflict. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday afternoon. Kind regards, Paul |
|
April, 13
This week we pray for: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania
We give thanks for:
· the blending of Christian traditions and practices, from the West and East
· the faithful witness of churches amid political changes
· those working for more democratic governance in these countries
· those who welcome newcomers and provide for them and others in need.
We pray for:
· better relationships among different ethnic groups and traditions
· respect for the rights of children, women, the young and the elderly, so they can receive adequate education, jobs and health care
· economic developments that serve all people ending practices that harm the air, soil and forests, and installing instead measures to protect the environment.
This week we pray for: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania
We give thanks for:
· the blending of Christian traditions and practices, from the West and East
· the faithful witness of churches amid political changes
· those working for more democratic governance in these countries
· those who welcome newcomers and provide for them and others in need.
We pray for:
· better relationships among different ethnic groups and traditions
· respect for the rights of children, women, the young and the elderly, so they can receive adequate education, jobs and health care
· economic developments that serve all people ending practices that harm the air, soil and forests, and installing instead measures to protect the environment.
April, 6
A message from Rev Mark Cornford. Presbytery Minister. Moreton Rivers Presbytery
'He is not here!'
Matt 28:6
We make sense of our lives through telling ourselves stories. Stories of our past experiences and how they shaped who we are today. Stories of our identity and purpose. Stories of our current interactions with others and how they affect us. Stories of how we understand God to be present in our lives and what we believe God to be calling us to do.
The problem is that to some degree, we are 'unreliable narrators'. In our stories of our interactions with others, we will often ascribe to others motives and perceptions that may not be accurate. Our stories of what we believe God to be doing and calling us to now, rely on past experiences of church and people, and are also constrained by the boxes that we construct in our attempts to understand who God is.
As I read and reflected on the Easter readings for this Sunday, I have been reflecting on both the stories that I tell myself as I attempt to make sense of my experiences in ministry, and the verse in the alternate Easter Sunday Gospel reading in Matthew, when the Angel speaks to the two Marys, who are looking for Jesus body, and says 'He is not here!' (28:6).
As I first read the words 'He is not here!' I was immediately struck with remembering the words of Ps 139 v 7-10
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
In Good Friday we celebrate that in the midst of suffering, darkness and death - Christ is here.
In Easter Saturday we celebrate that in the midst of despair and emptiness - Christ is here.
In Easter Sunday we celebrate that in Christ, God has conquered death and brokenness, and there is nothing in heaven or in earth that can separate us from the love of God (c/f Rom 8:37-39).
So, what does it mean then for the Angel to declare 'He is not here!'?
The women had come looking for a dead body, a failed Messiah. The women came with a story of how Empire and Religious Power had killed their hope, killed the one in whom they had come to experience God's love and presence, and according to their story and experience - it was now all for nothing. Their hope lay dead in the tomb, awaiting their loving preparation for burial.
And so, they came with their story of shattered faith to an empty tomb and were met by an Angel who declared to them about their story of a dead Messiah, 'He is not here! - He has been raised and is going ahead of you!'
As I spend time connecting across our presbytery, it is not uncommon for me to hear stories of how 'Nothing we have tried has worked!', and a weary resignation to expected future failure. It is as though we have come to expect that our hope is dead and buried in a tomb, and all that is left is to prepare it for burial.
But we, like the women coming to prepare Jesus body, are not reliable narrators of the power of God's love - the power of faith and hope. When we come with a story expecting failure and death, the Messiah is not there! - He is alive and goes ahead of us and calls us to join him!
My prayer for us this Easter is that like the two Mary's, we may experience the power of renewed hope, renewed faith and renewed love as we celebrate an empty tomb, and an alive Messiah who goes ahead of us and calls us to follow!
Have a Blessed Easter!
Rev Mark Cornford, Presbytery Minister, Moreton Rivers Presbytery
A message from Rev Mark Cornford. Presbytery Minister. Moreton Rivers Presbytery
'He is not here!'
Matt 28:6
We make sense of our lives through telling ourselves stories. Stories of our past experiences and how they shaped who we are today. Stories of our identity and purpose. Stories of our current interactions with others and how they affect us. Stories of how we understand God to be present in our lives and what we believe God to be calling us to do.
The problem is that to some degree, we are 'unreliable narrators'. In our stories of our interactions with others, we will often ascribe to others motives and perceptions that may not be accurate. Our stories of what we believe God to be doing and calling us to now, rely on past experiences of church and people, and are also constrained by the boxes that we construct in our attempts to understand who God is.
As I read and reflected on the Easter readings for this Sunday, I have been reflecting on both the stories that I tell myself as I attempt to make sense of my experiences in ministry, and the verse in the alternate Easter Sunday Gospel reading in Matthew, when the Angel speaks to the two Marys, who are looking for Jesus body, and says 'He is not here!' (28:6).
As I first read the words 'He is not here!' I was immediately struck with remembering the words of Ps 139 v 7-10
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
In Good Friday we celebrate that in the midst of suffering, darkness and death - Christ is here.
In Easter Saturday we celebrate that in the midst of despair and emptiness - Christ is here.
In Easter Sunday we celebrate that in Christ, God has conquered death and brokenness, and there is nothing in heaven or in earth that can separate us from the love of God (c/f Rom 8:37-39).
So, what does it mean then for the Angel to declare 'He is not here!'?
The women had come looking for a dead body, a failed Messiah. The women came with a story of how Empire and Religious Power had killed their hope, killed the one in whom they had come to experience God's love and presence, and according to their story and experience - it was now all for nothing. Their hope lay dead in the tomb, awaiting their loving preparation for burial.
And so, they came with their story of shattered faith to an empty tomb and were met by an Angel who declared to them about their story of a dead Messiah, 'He is not here! - He has been raised and is going ahead of you!'
As I spend time connecting across our presbytery, it is not uncommon for me to hear stories of how 'Nothing we have tried has worked!', and a weary resignation to expected future failure. It is as though we have come to expect that our hope is dead and buried in a tomb, and all that is left is to prepare it for burial.
But we, like the women coming to prepare Jesus body, are not reliable narrators of the power of God's love - the power of faith and hope. When we come with a story expecting failure and death, the Messiah is not there! - He is alive and goes ahead of us and calls us to join him!
My prayer for us this Easter is that like the two Mary's, we may experience the power of renewed hope, renewed faith and renewed love as we celebrate an empty tomb, and an alive Messiah who goes ahead of us and calls us to follow!
Have a Blessed Easter!
Rev Mark Cornford, Presbytery Minister, Moreton Rivers Presbytery
March
March 31
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
Mother Teresa
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
Mother Teresa
March 19
Please pray for President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine and all who have been hurt by Russia’s decision to invade - refugees, Ukrainian citizens, soldiers, the people of Russia, Putin.
Pray for people affected by devastating floods.
One expression of the Christian love that we share is that we pray for one another.
Please pray for President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine and all who have been hurt by Russia’s decision to invade - refugees, Ukrainian citizens, soldiers, the people of Russia, Putin.
Pray for people affected by devastating floods.
One expression of the Christian love that we share is that we pray for one another.
March 9
We give thanks for:
· the many distinct cultures in these islands and how literature, music, dance, and other traditions rooted here, have enriched people around the world
· the economic and other aid that consistently has come from the area to those in the world who are most in need
· the many who have emigrated to other parts of the world, and in turn, the immigrants from these lands who are now turning the United Kingdom and Ireland into increasingly multi-ethnic, multireligious societies
· the positive contributions Great Britain has made in world history and that church leaders have played in the ecumenical and interfaith movements.
We pray for:
· the healing of scars and memories that linger after times of colonisation
· overcoming barriers so that all might experience welcome as these countries become more genuinely multi-ethnic and multi-faith
· resolving differences and political tensions over how Great Britain should relate to the rest of Europe
· dealing with the challenges of increasing secularism and the emergence of new ways of expressing religion and spirituality.
We give thanks for:
· the many distinct cultures in these islands and how literature, music, dance, and other traditions rooted here, have enriched people around the world
· the economic and other aid that consistently has come from the area to those in the world who are most in need
· the many who have emigrated to other parts of the world, and in turn, the immigrants from these lands who are now turning the United Kingdom and Ireland into increasingly multi-ethnic, multireligious societies
· the positive contributions Great Britain has made in world history and that church leaders have played in the ecumenical and interfaith movements.
We pray for:
· the healing of scars and memories that linger after times of colonisation
· overcoming barriers so that all might experience welcome as these countries become more genuinely multi-ethnic and multi-faith
· resolving differences and political tensions over how Great Britain should relate to the rest of Europe
· dealing with the challenges of increasing secularism and the emergence of new ways of expressing religion and spirituality.
March 2
Some interesting snippets from Today in Christian History
February 23, 155: Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was martyred. Reportedly a disciple of the Apostle John, at age 86 he was taken to be burned at the stake. "You try to frighten me with fire that burns for an hour and forget the fire of hell that never burns out," he said. The flames, legend says, would not touch him, and when he was run through with a sword, his blood put the fire out.
February 26, 398: John Chrysostom, the greatest preacher of the early church, became bishop of Constantinople. So well-regarded was his preaching that he earned the name Chrysostom: "golden-mouth." He was exiled in 403 for his outspoken criticism of his congregation, including Empress Eudoxia. After the church recalled him, he again offended Eudoxia, who exiled him again. He died three years later
March 1, 589: David of Wales, whose ascetic path of restraint earned him the love of all Wales (he is now the patron saint of that country), died. His final words were, "Be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith and do the little things that you have seen and heard from me"
Some interesting snippets from Today in Christian History
February 23, 155: Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was martyred. Reportedly a disciple of the Apostle John, at age 86 he was taken to be burned at the stake. "You try to frighten me with fire that burns for an hour and forget the fire of hell that never burns out," he said. The flames, legend says, would not touch him, and when he was run through with a sword, his blood put the fire out.
February 26, 398: John Chrysostom, the greatest preacher of the early church, became bishop of Constantinople. So well-regarded was his preaching that he earned the name Chrysostom: "golden-mouth." He was exiled in 403 for his outspoken criticism of his congregation, including Empress Eudoxia. After the church recalled him, he again offended Eudoxia, who exiled him again. He died three years later
March 1, 589: David of Wales, whose ascetic path of restraint earned him the love of all Wales (he is now the patron saint of that country), died. His final words were, "Be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith and do the little things that you have seen and heard from me"
February
February 16
Introducing Dr Rod Irvine
Our service this week is to be conducted by Dr Rod Irvine. Rod has had a long and distinguished career in the Anglican Ministry, especially at Figtree in Wollongong. His book, ‘Giving Generously’, which has inspired congregations around the country to grow and develop, brings to mind the generosity of the Pilgrim People Brisbane community.
From a standing start, PPB has been able to build and maintain a committed congregation, invest in a new digital organ, support choral scholars, donate to areas of community need and create a stable financial base for future growth.
It is, therefore, appropriate in recognition of the joyful generosity of the PPB community to quote from Rod’s book on the topic of generosity.
“...Money is often the last area of life that is submitted to Christ. Martin Luther is reported to have said that a believer goes through three conversions: the head, the heart and finally the wallet.1 Thus even if you have a tithing billionaire in your congregation or a trust that provides such an excellent income stream that the church has an embarrassment of riches, it is still vitally important to teach about the proper use of money and possessions. In fact, not to do so would be robbing the congregation of the opportunity to experience significant spiritual growth.
One of the best ways to accomplish this is to focus on teaching the joy of generosity. While it may be important at various times to speak specifically on the topic of money, I believe the emphasis should fall on generosity. This is because money is ‘stuff’, the ‘stuff’ we cling to, the ‘stuff’ that can become a modern golden calf. Generosity covers similar territory but is a noble virtue to which every Christian should aspire. However, the emphasis needs to go further. It is important also to focus on the joy that comes from developing a giving nature. This makes speaking on generosity a privilege, not a burden…”
1 Wesley K Wilmer with Martin Smith, God and Your Stuff (NavPress, 2002), 72.
Rod Irvine “Giving Generously, Resourcing Local Church Ministry”, page 28
Introducing Dr Rod Irvine
Our service this week is to be conducted by Dr Rod Irvine. Rod has had a long and distinguished career in the Anglican Ministry, especially at Figtree in Wollongong. His book, ‘Giving Generously’, which has inspired congregations around the country to grow and develop, brings to mind the generosity of the Pilgrim People Brisbane community.
From a standing start, PPB has been able to build and maintain a committed congregation, invest in a new digital organ, support choral scholars, donate to areas of community need and create a stable financial base for future growth.
It is, therefore, appropriate in recognition of the joyful generosity of the PPB community to quote from Rod’s book on the topic of generosity.
“...Money is often the last area of life that is submitted to Christ. Martin Luther is reported to have said that a believer goes through three conversions: the head, the heart and finally the wallet.1 Thus even if you have a tithing billionaire in your congregation or a trust that provides such an excellent income stream that the church has an embarrassment of riches, it is still vitally important to teach about the proper use of money and possessions. In fact, not to do so would be robbing the congregation of the opportunity to experience significant spiritual growth.
One of the best ways to accomplish this is to focus on teaching the joy of generosity. While it may be important at various times to speak specifically on the topic of money, I believe the emphasis should fall on generosity. This is because money is ‘stuff’, the ‘stuff’ we cling to, the ‘stuff’ that can become a modern golden calf. Generosity covers similar territory but is a noble virtue to which every Christian should aspire. However, the emphasis needs to go further. It is important also to focus on the joy that comes from developing a giving nature. This makes speaking on generosity a privilege, not a burden…”
1 Wesley K Wilmer with Martin Smith, God and Your Stuff (NavPress, 2002), 72.
Rod Irvine “Giving Generously, Resourcing Local Church Ministry”, page 28
February 9
A Note from Dr Paul Davidson
I am standing in for Rev Bob Warrick and conducting our worship last Sunday and this Sunday while he is unwell.
Naturally, we are all thinking of Bob and Nola and we wish Bob a complete recovery.
I hope to see you on Sunday at 2.20pm at Merthyr Road Uniting Church. The service this coming Sunday has a focus on the Trinity as a doctrine that encompasses the law, the life of Christ and his sermon on the mount, and the experience of spirituality.
Kind regards, Paul.
A Note from Dr Paul Davidson
I am standing in for Rev Bob Warrick and conducting our worship last Sunday and this Sunday while he is unwell.
Naturally, we are all thinking of Bob and Nola and we wish Bob a complete recovery.
I hope to see you on Sunday at 2.20pm at Merthyr Road Uniting Church. The service this coming Sunday has a focus on the Trinity as a doctrine that encompasses the law, the life of Christ and his sermon on the mount, and the experience of spirituality.
Kind regards, Paul.
February 2
I was reading a prayer used by another presbytery in the south and it quoted this prayer by a Rabbi. I am not sure that I have ever quoted a Rabbi before but now seems a good time to start! Enjoy…
Bob
Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges
and bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows,
Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin colour.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness,
so that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbours.
And let the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbours.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven.
Rabbi Harold Kushner from 2019 Interreligious Prayer Service for Peace
and justice Celebrating World Interfaith Harmony
I was reading a prayer used by another presbytery in the south and it quoted this prayer by a Rabbi. I am not sure that I have ever quoted a Rabbi before but now seems a good time to start! Enjoy…
Bob
Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges
and bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows,
Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin colour.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness,
so that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbours.
And let the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbours.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven.
Rabbi Harold Kushner from 2019 Interreligious Prayer Service for Peace
and justice Celebrating World Interfaith Harmony
January
January 26
been torn apart in a few moments of motor madness.
The gospel for this Sunday speaks to us of life-style. For non-Christians the Sermon on the Mount is a frustrating impossible sort of thing contrary to everything that is human in our kind of world. For Christians it is designed to be a style of life, something to be aimed at, to be reached for.
This sermon is meant to be a sort of agenda for daily living, the life-style of the family of God, a life-style we are empowered and expected to grow into as members of God’s family. That kind of life will communicate God’s healing and power to the lives of sick, lonely, oppressed, broken, unhappy people around us.
And in Matthew 5:13-14 Jesus tells us what we will become when we live by the ethics he teaches in the Beatitudes. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
As the salt of the earth, may our way of being, foster justice and peace in our daily relationships.
As the light of the world, may our way of being, be a model for justice and peace in the world around us and in the world to come.
May we profess the good news of the household of God, in our lives and by our prayers and seek to dispel sadness.
Bob
been torn apart in a few moments of motor madness.
The gospel for this Sunday speaks to us of life-style. For non-Christians the Sermon on the Mount is a frustrating impossible sort of thing contrary to everything that is human in our kind of world. For Christians it is designed to be a style of life, something to be aimed at, to be reached for.
This sermon is meant to be a sort of agenda for daily living, the life-style of the family of God, a life-style we are empowered and expected to grow into as members of God’s family. That kind of life will communicate God’s healing and power to the lives of sick, lonely, oppressed, broken, unhappy people around us.
And in Matthew 5:13-14 Jesus tells us what we will become when we live by the ethics he teaches in the Beatitudes. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
As the salt of the earth, may our way of being, foster justice and peace in our daily relationships.
As the light of the world, may our way of being, be a model for justice and peace in the world around us and in the world to come.
May we profess the good news of the household of God, in our lives and by our prayers and seek to dispel sadness.
Bob
January 19
What version of the Bible?
For several months I have been using the Living Bible in worship because I think it is more ‘listener friendly’. Is that the case for you? Send me your comments please.
Bruce Mullan included the following in his Daily Mail last Friday.
[Many] readers of the Bible depend on English translations. Professional translators make interpretive choices in their work all the time. There is no easy way around this process, partly because many ancient words have multiple meanings. In addition, all translators have biases — some conscious and others less conscious.
In the recent past, new translations were needed to correct the inaccuracies of older translations. For example, the King James Version (originally published in 1611) was based on an ancient manuscript tradition that did not coincide with the oldest manuscripts available or the best practices from the discipline of textual criticism in order to determine what was likely the closest words to the original The New International Version (NIV) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are both communal projects. In other words, there’s no single translator for these translations. A project with an ‘international scope’, the NIV includes translators from a wide variety of Protestant denominations, all with a collective theological commitment to ‘God’s Word in written form’. The NRSV is more ecumenical in nature and recognised as such in Protestant, Anglican, RC, and Eastern Orthodox communions. There are two general approaches to translation. One is an attempt to match the original language — Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek — in its form and structure as much as possible. This is called the ‘formal equivalence theory’. The other approach is an attempt to translate the original language in a more dynamic way, with less attention to word-for-word translation and more emphasis on communicating the larger ideas (sometimes called, phrase-for-phrase). This is called the ‘functional (or dynamic) equivalence theory’. While translations lean more heavily in one direction or the other, our best translations balance the two approaches and, furthermore, are communal enterprises (i.e., inclusive of a wide swath of translators).
The NIV states explicitly its intent ‘to go beyond a formal word-for-word rendering of the original texts’. Alternatively, the NRSV has a desire to follow an older translation maxim — ‘as literal as possible, as free as necessary’ — attempting to retain a word-for-word technique as much as possible.
[Emerson Powery posted by Sojourners 09 May copyright 2022. More https://tinyurl.com/4prp2asc]
What version of the Bible?
For several months I have been using the Living Bible in worship because I think it is more ‘listener friendly’. Is that the case for you? Send me your comments please.
Bruce Mullan included the following in his Daily Mail last Friday.
[Many] readers of the Bible depend on English translations. Professional translators make interpretive choices in their work all the time. There is no easy way around this process, partly because many ancient words have multiple meanings. In addition, all translators have biases — some conscious and others less conscious.
In the recent past, new translations were needed to correct the inaccuracies of older translations. For example, the King James Version (originally published in 1611) was based on an ancient manuscript tradition that did not coincide with the oldest manuscripts available or the best practices from the discipline of textual criticism in order to determine what was likely the closest words to the original The New International Version (NIV) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are both communal projects. In other words, there’s no single translator for these translations. A project with an ‘international scope’, the NIV includes translators from a wide variety of Protestant denominations, all with a collective theological commitment to ‘God’s Word in written form’. The NRSV is more ecumenical in nature and recognised as such in Protestant, Anglican, RC, and Eastern Orthodox communions. There are two general approaches to translation. One is an attempt to match the original language — Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek — in its form and structure as much as possible. This is called the ‘formal equivalence theory’. The other approach is an attempt to translate the original language in a more dynamic way, with less attention to word-for-word translation and more emphasis on communicating the larger ideas (sometimes called, phrase-for-phrase). This is called the ‘functional (or dynamic) equivalence theory’. While translations lean more heavily in one direction or the other, our best translations balance the two approaches and, furthermore, are communal enterprises (i.e., inclusive of a wide swath of translators).
The NIV states explicitly its intent ‘to go beyond a formal word-for-word rendering of the original texts’. Alternatively, the NRSV has a desire to follow an older translation maxim — ‘as literal as possible, as free as necessary’ — attempting to retain a word-for-word technique as much as possible.
[Emerson Powery posted by Sojourners 09 May copyright 2022. More https://tinyurl.com/4prp2asc]
January 12
During the week I came across an article from Michael who was writing about questions that he wrestles with such as, ‘Why do I attend this church?’ ‘Is here where you’re calling me to be, Lord?’ And that leads him to ‘What am I looking for in a church?’
His first hope is to find a community of Christians that are unashamed to be what they are.
He craves to join the Body of Christ which is exactly as Paul describes it in this week’s epistle.
He wants a congregation where all say ‘We have been enriched in Christ in every way!’
His second hope is a congregation that sees the work of the people each week (the etymological meaning of ‘liturgy’) as ushering in real encounters with God. There is much that we do that can be found in other places. What makes a church special is that it offers encounter with the God who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
What kind of people do I want to encounter? Those who love to do your will, O my God, for your law is deep in their hearts. I want to do church with people who ‘proclaim righteousness in the great congregation.’
When I encounter scripture, it often seems so alive and pregnant with possibility. The same should be true of our churches. We should see and hear Christ in the Communion table, in the preaching, in the prayers for the nations, in the repentance and confession, in the gathering around the afternoon tea table, in the tears of a parishioner who has just lost a family member.
Why do I go to this particular church, to our church, because it is a place where God meets me in the every day holiness of those called to be the church, those with whom I share afternoon tea.
Thanks be to God.
Bob
During the week I came across an article from Michael who was writing about questions that he wrestles with such as, ‘Why do I attend this church?’ ‘Is here where you’re calling me to be, Lord?’ And that leads him to ‘What am I looking for in a church?’
His first hope is to find a community of Christians that are unashamed to be what they are.
He craves to join the Body of Christ which is exactly as Paul describes it in this week’s epistle.
He wants a congregation where all say ‘We have been enriched in Christ in every way!’
His second hope is a congregation that sees the work of the people each week (the etymological meaning of ‘liturgy’) as ushering in real encounters with God. There is much that we do that can be found in other places. What makes a church special is that it offers encounter with the God who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
What kind of people do I want to encounter? Those who love to do your will, O my God, for your law is deep in their hearts. I want to do church with people who ‘proclaim righteousness in the great congregation.’
When I encounter scripture, it often seems so alive and pregnant with possibility. The same should be true of our churches. We should see and hear Christ in the Communion table, in the preaching, in the prayers for the nations, in the repentance and confession, in the gathering around the afternoon tea table, in the tears of a parishioner who has just lost a family member.
Why do I go to this particular church, to our church, because it is a place where God meets me in the every day holiness of those called to be the church, those with whom I share afternoon tea.
Thanks be to God.
Bob
January 5
Traditionally used at the first Sunday of a New Year
The Covenant Prayer of John Wesley (1703–1791)
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
We give thanks today – that the Holy Spirit always shows up
and her presence is
as disruptive today as it was when Jesus was baptised by John.
Baptised in the face of oppression and despair.
Baptised in the grimness of life.
For Baptism always proclaims the love and the mystery of God and the presence of the unquenchable Spirit.
Whenever baptism is offered –
at the beginning of life
as a symbol of hope and promise,
as a rite of passage, building on family tradition,
as a response to faith that has grown slowly and surely,
at the bedside of a beautiful 93-year-old saint
embarrassed to admit that she had never been baptised,
or with parents anxious about their new-born's hold on life –
whether sprinkled,
dunked,
immersed,
or with the gentlest whisper of a touch;
always, always, always,
the Holy Spirit makes herself known
as angels gather to sing a Gloria,
declaring the wonder of God
who calls us Beloved.
Bob
Traditionally used at the first Sunday of a New Year
The Covenant Prayer of John Wesley (1703–1791)
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
We give thanks today – that the Holy Spirit always shows up
and her presence is
as disruptive today as it was when Jesus was baptised by John.
Baptised in the face of oppression and despair.
Baptised in the grimness of life.
For Baptism always proclaims the love and the mystery of God and the presence of the unquenchable Spirit.
Whenever baptism is offered –
at the beginning of life
as a symbol of hope and promise,
as a rite of passage, building on family tradition,
as a response to faith that has grown slowly and surely,
at the bedside of a beautiful 93-year-old saint
embarrassed to admit that she had never been baptised,
or with parents anxious about their new-born's hold on life –
whether sprinkled,
dunked,
immersed,
or with the gentlest whisper of a touch;
always, always, always,
the Holy Spirit makes herself known
as angels gather to sing a Gloria,
declaring the wonder of God
who calls us Beloved.
Bob
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