Episodes
Sunday Mar 29, 2020
People of faith
Sunday Mar 29, 2020
Sunday Mar 29, 2020
Peter Frere | 1 Corinthians 15.42-44 | Colossians 3.3-4
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
With the world in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic we move into a new era where things that we once took for granted can no longer be relied upon. Peter reminds us of things that remain unchanged: transformation from seed to flower, and from human physical weakness to eternal glory through the love of God.
The recording is introduced by Bobbie Frere. Thank you also to Dilys for the readings and Martin for the prayers at the end.
Sunday Mar 15, 2020
Living water
Sunday Mar 15, 2020
Sunday Mar 15, 2020
John Lanchbury | John 4:4-42
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'. (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) ... Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I've ever done.'
In a conversation lasting just a few minutes, Jesus breaks through the social barriers separating a Jewish man from a Samaritan woman, works out that her life is in a mess and convinces her that he himself is the "living water" that alone can bring true satisfaction in life. Jesus' gentle but purposeful questioning leads her to only one possible conclusion. Where are we on this journey?
Discussion questions can be downloaded here.
Sunday Mar 08, 2020
Eco Church
Sunday Mar 08, 2020
Sunday Mar 08, 2020
Godfrey Armitage | John 3:1-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
"God so loved the world..." These words are very familiar to Christians, but have we forgotten part of their meaning? The Eco Church scheme, to which Christ Church belongs, recognises that the relationship between humanity and the created world - as well as our relationship with God - is broken and needs to be restored. Godfrey is a speaker for A Rocha UK, which runs Eco Church, and explains not just why we need to act but also some of the practical steps that individuals and churches can take.
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
Touching Jesus
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
Peter Frere | Luke 8:43-48
The rules of the day were quite clear: any person with a discharge was unclean, and anything they touched became unclean. But when the person being touched was Jesus, things were bound to take a different turn. As Peter explains, physical touch can bring both good and harm, but it's important for human relationships, and Jesus used it for healing and to break down barriers.
This talk was given in our evening service. In the morning, our interactive All Age service used many physical symbols to explore the meaning of Lent, but the message format wasn't really suited to a podcast.
A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind [Jesus] and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
'Who touched me?' Jesus asked...
In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'