Richard's Ramblings

Clocks went forward in southern states last weekend. “Spring forward, Fall back” in case, like me, you get confused. When we lived in Brisbane, Telstra would regularly change our mobile phone time to NSW although Queensland doesn’t observe summer time. Twice a year, I was going to say regular as clockwork, but clockwork clocks weren’t affected. Telstra’s explanation each half-year was that Brisbane was near the border between Queensland and NSW, and some phone signals came from NSW masts. Whatever, I got used to folk (and me) being early or late for church. This Sunday’s gospel (Luke 17) has Jesus travelling along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As ever, metaphorically or geographically, he’s to be found in the margins. In those margins is where needy people are who don’t fit anywhere else. Like a Samaritan leper who couldn’t present himself to a Temple priest because he wasn’t allowed in the Temple. So he comes back to where he is accepted and welcomed, to Jesus who declares ...

  The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5) The trouble with writing for Connections (or Kirwan Uniting’s Keeping in Touch, this is a syndicated article this week 😊 ) on the topic on which I’ll be preaching, is that it sort of gives the game away, so you can go to sleep during the sermon on Sunday. If you do, you’ll miss the introductory jokes. When I were a lad, much harm was done to folk going through trials, perhaps a worrying medical diagnosis, or a financial or relationship crisis, by other Christians telling them that they didn’t have enough faith in God for God to be able to work a miracle. Doesn’t say much for God. Many people, me included, still fret that we don’t have enough faith. But we’re missing the point. The faith is God’s in us, not ours in God. St Paul hits the nail on the head in his epistle which accompanies Sunday’s lectionary Gospel, 2 Timothy 1. “ … I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have e...