Christ Church Selly Park

Andy Robinson on Jesus, the Bible and sexuality

To begin a conversation about sexuality and marriage, we invited Andy Robinson (Training Director of Living Out) to speak to us.  In this first of two sessions, he shared some of his personal story and look at what the Bible has to say about sexuality and marriage.

Andy was a pastor for 19 years and now works part-time leading a ministry training course in Oxford alongside working with Living Out. Surprisingly, he enjoys talking personally about issues of sexuality – being able to say that God's grace is sufficient in our weakness. He describes himself as a northerner in exile and still insists that there is no 'r' in the pronunciation of bath.

Come, walk on water

Allan Bartlam | Matthew 14.22-33 

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.

Even in the daytime, it would have been enough of a shock to the disciples to see Jesus walking across the water towards them. But at night, in a storm... yet Peter's response is that he wants to copy Jesus and walk on the lake too. Allan encourages us to trust Jesus amid the storms of life.

The recording begins with the reading from Trevor Whitehouse, and there is a concluding prayer from Cathie Bartlam.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Go, tell what God has done

Graham Romp | Mark 5:1-20 

When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

This man was an outsider in every sense: a terror to himself and others, and completely excluded from society. Yet, as the story proceeds, we learn how Jesus saved him from his torment and restored him in the sight of others. As Graham explains, Jesus commands the man to tell his own people what God has done for him. Only we can tell of what God has done for us, and those around us need to hear it.

The recording begins with the reading from Sarah Trinder.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Is there hope for the poor?

Judy Ward | James 1:27-2:6 

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Or... suppose the whole congregation is invited to breakfast, and while a wealthy few are given a full meal, most only have toast and a real outsider just a glass of water? Listen to the beginning of the recording to find out. Judy Ward goes on to explain the work of Christians Against Poverty in freeing people trapped in unpayable debt, and challenges us to respond to the needs, often hidden, around us.

The recording also includes an introduction from Jess Green, the reading from Janet Chalmers and a prayer from Rachel Fasham..

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Come to me and rest

Bobbie Frere | Matthew 11:25-30 

[Jesus said,] ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

Is Jesus promising a life of ease? As Bobbie explains, far from encouraging us to put our feet up, Jesus challenges us to a different way of thinking about ourselves and our lives.

The recording begins with the reading from John Mason.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Go and see

John Lanchbury | Mark 6:30-44 

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’ ‘How many loaves do you have?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’

Eager to hear Jesus' teaching, the crowd had followed him, and now they were in need of physical food. Having set his disciples a seemingly impossible task - to feed the crowd - Jesus now asks them to assess the resources available, which amount to just a few loaves and fish. Yet as John reminds us in his talk, anything is possible when Jesus turns up and we offer what little we have to him.

The recording begins with the reading from James Williams.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Come and see

Peter Frere | John 1:35-51 

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.

Last week, Ben introduced our new series by looking at the calling of Jesus' first disciples. This week Peter focuses on John's account of the story and the reaction of those who met Jesus: to invite others to discover him for themselves.

The recording begins with the reading from Kate Routley.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

Coming and going with Jesus

Ben Green | Matthew 4:18-22 | Matthew 28:18-20 

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.

Jesus came to [the disciples] and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

We begin a new series this week, which Ben introduces at the beginning of the recording. Then, after the readings from Susan Mole, he continues to discuss what it means to be a disciple. We still follow the same pattern today: Jesus calls us to follow him, then we go and pass on that call to others.

A longer, edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

The greatest gift

Dan Parnell | Matthew 2:1-12 

After [the Magi] had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

This short talk was part of an Explore service in which each of us could respond in different ways to what we heard. How much do we know about these mysterious Magi, and what can we learn from their place in the gospel story? 

The recording begins with the reading from Susan Haynes.

A longer, edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.

A new thing

Susan Haynes | Isaiah 43:14-21 

This is what the Lord says -
  he who made a way through the sea,
  a path through the mighty waters...
‘Forget the former things;
  do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
  and streams in the wasteland.’

We can learn from and be thankful for what God has done in the past, but we should not get stuck there. At the beginning of a new year Susan challenges us to embrace the new things God has for us and to be part of what he is doing.

The recording begins with members of the congregation describing what it is like to experience something new.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service can be viewed on YouTube.