Faith Goes Walkabout

Thoughts and reflections

Category: theological Page 3 of 8

Was Moses a Super hero?

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On September 7, 2014

In church seasons, pastoral, theological

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Moses, leader of the Israelites, led the people out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, when the waters divided, so long in the desert, Moses found them water and manna and quails eggs, he brought down from the mountain the Ten Commandments written on stone, he had a staff which God gave to him and changed it from a snake, his staff did all sorts of wonderful things.

In fact, he was like a modern day Super hero, and I’m going to include, Super man, Batman, Gandalf, Professor Dumbledore, and….well there are many more.

In the story of Moses and the Burning Bush, Moses was quietly doing his work as a shepherd and was wandering in the desert.And there he saw the burning bush.

He could have chosen to walk away and not get involved, but he turned and spoke with God.

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‘There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire, out of the burning bush’.

The bush. Moses noticed was burning and not going out.

And this next bit is crucial…
‘Then Moses said, ‘ I must turn aside and look as this great sight and see why the bush is not burned up.’

Moses in that few seconds had not ignored God and was going to listen.

 

What happens when super heroes and powerful people are ignored?
What about the people in the stories, can they just carry on with their lives just the same or do they need help and do they have to do something to make that help happen? Harry. Bilbo and Frodo?

More reflections in www.faithgoeswalkabout, on Sermon for 12th Sunday after Trinity.

Revd Sue Martin, Diocese of Norwich

The Mustard Seed

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On July 27, 2014

In church seasons, theological

The Mustard Seed

Image 9Sixth Sunday after Trinity July 27th 2014


Readings Matthew 13: 31 – 35, 41 – 52. Romans 8

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.

 

A mustard seed so tiny and innocuous , but it has an intelligence to become a large plant in a year, to spread and to grow and to produce beautiful flowers.

How though can the kingdom of God be like a mustard seed?
No wonder that the disciples found it hard to follow, a country, a world, a universe like a mustard seed?

The world is a pretty big place. The vastness of the oceans, the great continents and land masses, no-one could say that our world is small. And the universe, well there is something that is so vast it the size is beyond our comprehension.

But is that really so?

To find out more go to Sermons on Faith Goes Walkabout.

Rev’d Sue Martin

The Road….

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On July 6, 2014

In theological

 

road to Carmelit convent

 

 

 

 

 

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet,

And whither then? I cannot say

From Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien

The Longest Day

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On June 24, 2014

In church seasons, pastoral, theological

This was the view from home on June 21st 2014 at 21.25,just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. The longest day was coming to an end and it wasn’t over yet as the daylight and twilight continued until well past 22.00.

What an amazing experience and wonderful to have so much sunshine on the longest day.

IMG 0802Most of the information available relates to the Summer Solstice and to the druids at Stonehenge, rather as if they were and still are the only ones who find this a special time.

 

Solstice’ literally means the stopping or standing still of the sun. It is used as a name for the longest day of the year – 21 June – when the sun is at its highest point in the northern hemisphere.
The sun reaches its highest position in the sky twice a year as seen from the north or south pole. This is when either hemisphere is tipped towards the sun more than on any other day of the year.
The day of the solstice has the longest period of sunlight in the calendar year (16 hours and 38 minutes in London). The only exception is in polar regions, where daylight can last for days or months.

Light is powerful, and that our relationship with our star, the sun, is crucial to our planet.

Being filled with light gives us hope and joy and a real lift to our souls.

Rev’d Sue Martin

D Day Landings 70th Anniversary

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On June 8, 2014

In community, theological

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A few days ago, we were sitting quietly in the office at Cambridge , when we heard the low rumbling of a plane. The noise of planes is not unusual but they usually come overhead with a jet engine roar or the quiet calmness of a Cessna 2 seater.

This plane was a Dakota, and as it flew overhead we couldn’t help but look out at the window and sense the memory of all that plane had seen 70 years ago.

What strikes me about all the commemorations about the D Day landings is the elderly men, now in wheelchairs or struggling to walk, but getting to that place in France, where as young men in their late teens and early twenties, they emerged from the boats into the seas, straight into the firing guns.
What courage! What strength! And what conviction?

And the 90 year old man who made his own way from his Care Home in Hove to get there, courage, strength and conviction.

This day that meant so much to the eventual end of the war. The joining of nations fighting in desperation for peace and for freedom.

The Four Freedoms Speech in 1941 as expressed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt were and still are fundamental for all people in the world.

Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Worship
Freedom from Want
Freedom from Fear

A time now to remember the people who gave their lives for those freedoms for us and a time to look forward to how we can still ensure that tyranny does not succeed and The Four Freedoms can still be our goal for all people.

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Rev’d Sue Martin

Lord of the Dance

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On April 20, 2014

In church seasons, pastoral, theological

EasterHappy Easter!

Alleluia, He is Risen!

Dance then, wherever you may be;

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,

And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,

And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

They cut me down

And I leap up high;

I am the life

That’ll never, never die;

I’ll live in you,if you’ll live in me:

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he:

Rev’d Sue Martin

Chaplain at QE Hospital, Diocese of Norwich

Take Tme

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On April 17, 2014

In Faith goes walkabout, theological

country trackTake time to think

It is the source of power.

Take time to Play

It is the secret of perpetual growth

Take time to read

It is the fountain of wisdom.

Visit www.faithgoeswalkabout.org

Pancakes and beyond…

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On March 16, 2014

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, theological

pancakesShrove Tuesday and Pancake day, when we all have the chance to eat delicious pancakes with our favourite toppings, maple syrup,lemon and sugar, and even Nutella!

A time to be ready for Lent, the six weeks ahead when we spend time in reflection, time to give something up, time to take on something new… but above all to have time for God to find us and for us to find God.

Jesus went into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, to think, to pray and to get ready for the difficult time ahead. Tempted by the devil, he resisted.

How hard is it for us to actually give something up for just a few weeks, nobody is saying we have too, there is only ourselves to keep the pressure on, and how easy therefore to give in to temptation.

But in Lent we can find ourselves and the true person that God intends us to be.

When I wrote the sermon for the first week in Lent I was in Hong Kong and some of the sermon is in the Lent section on faithgoeswalkabout.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Jesus as a Revolutionary…

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On February 8, 2014

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, pastoral, theological

Jesus walkingJesus was a revolutionary.

He was stirring people into action, making them change, showing them what they should have been doing.

What happens to revolutionaries now? Don’t we all sit back and say things like,

‘I don’t see why I have to change. ‘
‘There’s nothing that I should be doing is there?’

But, “You are the light of the world…” says Jesus
So how can we sit back and do nothing?

We can’t all be revolutionaries but we can speak out when injustice does take place.

Don’t hide your light under a bushel!

See more in sermons on Faithgoeswalkabout.

Readings for 4th Sunday before Lent

Isaiah 58:1-9, 1 Corinth. 2:1-12 and Matthew 5:13 – 20

Rev’d Sue Martin

Follow Me…

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On January 26, 2014

In church seasons, community, Faith goes walkabout, pastoral, theological

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Follow me. The words of Jesus for the fishermen and for us too.

No excuses, like…well I’ll just take the dog home first and then I’ll be back.

Or…Can I make it next year, I have so much on at the moment..

Or… I will follow but it’s going to have to be later this week,. Can you come back next Sunday?

Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John were one day normal Galilean fishermen and the next, they were disciples and later apostles of Jesus, Son of God. Pretty impressive that!

We can all do it too, if we really want too. Follow Him!

See Epiphany on Faithgoeswalkabout

Rev’d Sue Martin

Norwich Diocese

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