'Are You Ready' - Weekly Reflection 8th November 2026

Today being Remembrance Sunday, we stopped at just before 11am to hold the two-minute silence. A random thought came to mind as I stood there, I recalled the days I was a Boy Scout. I remembered being taught how to stand to attention with your hand closed in a fist, thumbs lining up with the seam of your shorts (it was always shorts in those day!)

The other thing I remember is the motto – ‘Be Prepared.’

And being prepared was the theme of the RCL Gospel reading for today. Matthew 25:1-13.

This is the parable of the ten maidens, five wise and five foolish and comes near to the conclusion on a long discourse from Jesus as he prepares to go the cross and seeks to prepare his disciples for what is about to happen.

And being prepared also pops up in other places in the past week. We have had the annual recollection of Guido Fawkes and his co-conspirators being prepared to blow up Parliament, the king, nobles and parliamentarians. Those preparations being thwarted.   

And over in the USA and across the world nobody appeared prepared for the size of the ‘blue wave’ as millions rejected the current administrations policies and programme and executive orders. We will have to see how prepared the Democrats are to offer viable and acceptable alternatives. But for the moment there is a sigh of relief across the world. 

In my ministry as an itinerant evangelist, I developed a skill set for setting up Church Tents at County Shows and smaller Village Fetes and Fayres.  I also would run training sessions.

The one thing I would do as much as possible would to be prepared, especially when it came to Church Tents and the like at County Shows. That would mean having to hand a wide range of things, mallets, clamps and clips, rope and twine, pegs and a whole range of stuff, just in case because you never really knew what the weather was going to do and you had to be prepared for everything.  One of the first Show’s of the season is the Devon County Show in mid-May. I remember going and taking both sunscreen and wellington boots and waterproofs.

Returning to the story of the wise and foolish maidens we see five are prepared and have taken extra oil with them. The ‘lamp’ in this case is more like a torch, a long pole with a rag tied at the top which lasted for about fifteen minutes before needing to have more oil poured on it.

And this is a Jewish wedding in first century Palestine. The custom being that the Groom would come in procession from his home to the home of the bride.  The groom being the focus as he came to claim his bride and then take her back to his home being escorted by ‘bridesmaids’ who would dance and process with lit torches.

Now if you have ever been involved in preparing for a wedding you know that there are a lot of things to prepare for and a lot of things can go wrong.

Jane and I were married at Marylebone Register Office before going on to have our wedding blessed in a celebration of Holy Communion.

What I hadn’t prepared for was the fee being increased and faced with having to find some extra cash so that the ceremony could go ahead.  Nor did we expect to have the car of Jane’s brother break down as they travelled to join us.

Things do catch us out but as much as possible we need to be prepared.

And interestingly in the parable the ‘wisdom’ isn’t Sophia, Lady Wisdom, much prized and spoken of in the ‘Wisdom Literature’ of ancient Israel and in places like Proverbs.  

This wisdom is a word for something very practical, like the two men building houses of an earlier story.

The question therefore is what ‘practical steps’ can we take to prepare for Jesus’s return, which is what this parable is alluding to.  

The first thing is to ensure we are on the guest list for the wedding feast. Note that the wise maidens couldn’t share their oil with those who were unprepared. My faith is my faith, and your faith is your faith. If people say as they sometimes do, ‘I wish I had your faith.’ Well, the answer is that they can’t.

Then for the practical steps we might want to look at Acts 2: 42, “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Four very practical preparatory steps.  (1) Teaching (2) Fellowship (3) Holy Communion (4) Prayer.

I have engaged in all of that in the week past.  On Thursday I joined the Spiritual Formation Group for a hybrid-meeting.  Our speaker on this occasion was helping us to reflect on the monastic tradition and exploring how we might learn lessons from this tradition and integrate some of the patterns of work and prayer and study into our own lives.  

And something from the Benedictine tradition may help as we consider being prepared for Jesus’ return. For certain we await expectantly for Jesus’ coming and the season of Advent that begins at the end of the month has that as a focus, Christ coming to us as an infant and then looking for his return and the establishing of heaven on earth as in Revelation21.  (With a Wedding Banquet!)

But in the interim doesn’t Jesus present himself to us in many other ways. (Check out the rest of chapter 25 and note the call to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry and to visit those in prison)

There is a Benedictine Rule that says, “Let all the guests at their arrival be received as Christ, for he himself will one day say: “I was a guest, and you received me” (Matt 25:35). So let fitting honour be shown to all, especially to the household of faith and to travellers. Therefore, when a guest is announced, let him be met by the superior, or by the brothers, with every service required by love. In the greeting itself, let every sign of humility be shown to all the guests as they arrive or depart. With the head bowed or with the whole body cast on the ground, let Christ, who is also received, be adored in them.”

Years ago, when I spent some time in Prinknash Abbey the Guest Master told me of this rule but then said that folks today might be a bit embarrassed if they were to lie down in front of them. Today, he said, we will welcome you, give you a cup of tea and tell you where the loo is!

Be prepared – yes, we are to be prepared for the return of Jesus at a time when no one knows but the Father. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Matthew 24:36

But are we also prepared to meet him daily in the people God brings across our paths.

In the stark teaching of Jesus, the door is shut on those unprepared for his return (see Matt 24: 11-13). 

Words echoed for those who do not feed the hungry and clothe the naked and visit those in prison, see Matt 25:44-46.

On both counts let us consider how ready we are as we step into the week ahead?

Maybe it's time to stock up on oil!

https://youtu.be/5lwtbnU-1Tw?si=4RuSA7K3n2AdlwcE

 

 

'Would I lie to you' - Weekly Reflection 1st November 2026

On Saturday last I went out for a run. The weather was near perfect for running and as I had no other commitments I managed to get in ten miles. As it has been my custom for many years now I was listening to Radio Two as I plodded along.

Currently, the host of the Saturday morning show morning is Romash Ranganathan. Therefore, it was of no surprise that ‘The Traitors’ was very much part of the show. The first hour featured interviews with a small number of the contestants including co-winner along with Romesh, Sebastian (Bash) Croft. And yes, I was one of the several million viewers who have followed the series intently.  While in Cornwall we had a blip when the storms took down the Wi-Fi and therefore the TV. We managed to avoid any spoilers until we had the TV back on and we could catch up.   

Interestingly this morning at our All-Age Worship at St Oswald’s we explored the theme of, ‘Guide me in your truth.’  (Link to the Service: https://www.youtube.com/live/i-JthGeGpjw?si=8l9kMw2qrwIPqs2w)

Some Christians have said that, ‘The Traitors’ is predicated around lying and deceit and therefore is not something we should support or encourage people to watch.  (Although it is good to remember that 'The Traitors' is a game!)

At one level I get that. After all Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.’ And Jesus also said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  John 8.44.

A couple of questions then. 

Is there anytime when we should tell a lie or an untruth?

Is there always a straightforward binary choice between telling the truth or telling a lie?

I don’t think it is as easy as that and I would want to put truth and lies on a sliding scale.

Truth                                                                                                     Lie

A classic dilemma would be to recall somebody sheltering Jews during World War Two and faced with German soldiers asking if there are any Jews hiding in their house.

Or imagine if you will, being the Chaplain in a prison during a riot. In the Chaplaincy you have a prisoner who you know will come to harm if he is found out by the rioting inmates. Asked directly if he is in there, how would you respond?

Or for a Biblical example see the story of Rahab, Joshua 2, especially verse 14.  

One of the features on the Saturday morning show is ‘Pitch Your Passion.’ Two people are invited to pitch their passion in 45 seconds. People are then invited to vote for the one they thought presented the best pitch. On Saturday there was a Halloween theme, and we had ‘ancient castles and spooky houses’ and ‘all things witchy.’ The first lady on the castle’s did a really good job and had thought it through whereas the lady on ‘all things witchy’ freestyled and the pitch was basically rubbish. Does Romesh then go on to say, well your pitch was awful, telling the ‘unvarnished truth’ or does he try and navigate a type of middle ground?

Any man who has found himself asked by a woman how they look will have faced a similar dilemma!

Telling the truth or telling a lie is not always a simple binary choice but does need to be set in context and a judgment call must be made. That’s why I like the idea of a sliding scale. For the most part, as followers of the One who self-identifies as being ‘the truth’ our toggle ought to be set at a default on the truth end of the scale. However, there might be times when we need to nudge it slightly in the other direction. And in some extreme examples, that hopefully we will never have to face, we might move the toggle all the way of over to the lie to protect someone.  

And on truth we might also ask, is truth objective or subjective, or again is there some sort of sliding scale or context that should be considered.

What do we make of this exchange between Jesus and Pilate…

 “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him. John 18.38

If we always embraced subjective truth it would quickly create chaos and disorder. My ‘truth’ might go against your ‘truth.’

There must be objectives truths to enable us to function and communicate collectively. If I went into a supermarket for a loaf of bread but that morning the manager has decided that what was once known as carrots were now going to be known as bread, that this was truth as she saw it, you might call it bread but I have decided to call them carrots.  A silly example but it makes the point. We must agree on some objective truths.

But there are times when the truth is unclear and we need try and come to some agreement, to seek to discern the truth.

Isn’t that what is happening in our courts and in our school playgrounds and even internationally. The Ukrainians view the truth of their history and current identity one way and Putin and the Russian regime view the truth another way. But surely it is very plain that in this case there is an objective truth and the International Community accepts the truth of Ukraine sovereignty despite Putin’s claims.

What is truth?” Pilate asked. How would answer that question?

 I would be intrigued to know, so do add a comment below or send me a DM or email.

And as we step into the week ahead no mater what we face let us always remember that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, we can lean into him for guidance. 

https://youtu.be/lid8e31qOvg?si=DZbfmkOoiqVa-ivF

 

 

 

 

 

'God has faith in us' - Weekly Reflection 26th October 2026

On Thursday we made the long trip down to Cornwall to catch up with our ‘Cornish family,’ two of whom celebrating birthdays, our granddaughter Isla (8) and our eldest son.

We arrived and settled in but woke up on Friday amid Storm Austin with the electrics down and Wi-Fi also down, which amongst other things meant no TV. Thankfully the electrics was restored on Friday afternoon, but the Wi-Fi wasn’t restored until Monday. Saturday saw another storm hot on the heels of the previous one and this one presented with persistent rain all day. So, we hunkered down and read, dozed and watched DVDs, only making a trip out up to St Austell for a hot chocolate at Costa just to be somewhere different.

On Saturday throughout the day and on into the evening we watched the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy. Watching it in this way I noticed in a way that I hadn’t before how all three films bleed into each other, repeating scenes and giving you another angle on what you had seen before.

The book I was reading on Saturday was Tom Wright’s, ‘God’s Home-Coming.’ (SPCK 2025)

In this book Tom Wright pulls together various talks, lectures and other papers and essays he has written over the years where he strongly challenges the idea that the goal of the Christian is to go to heaven when we die. That, he argues is a misreading of Scripture common place in much Western Christianity, largely by an enlightenment embrace of Platonism.

Following the logic of Wright and following the Scriptures he presents aligned with an over aching narrative he argues that the Scriptural narrative says little if anything about ‘going to heaven when we die.’ From the opening pages of Genesis and the creation narrative, the story is one of God seeking to live and abide amongst his creation. Much like the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy, the themes criss cross and bleed into each other, telling the same story but from a different angle and seeking the best possible of all outcomes.

Consider these three Scriptures. First from the creation narrative, that speaks of God walking in the Garden.

‘They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Gen 3:8

And then note verse 21, ‘And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife and clothed them.’ (The first animal sacrifice!)

Then flip over to 1 John 2:28, ‘And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.’ 

And into this the story of the king giving a banquet and the man being found without a Wedding Garment. Matthew 22:1-14 (especially verses 11-14)

The ‘law’ was given to enable God to abide amongst his people, argues Tom Wright. Now we have Messiah Jesus, “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.”  Galatians 3.27(cf. Isaiah 61:10)  

Once you begin to think in this way you find you are unable not to see it.

For me, Tom’s Wright’s book confirms what I had already come to view as being a more consistent reading of the Scriptural narrative. I have long found The Bible Project very insightful.

https://bibleproject.com/videos/temple/.

And a few years I worked my way slowly through G.K. Beal’s ‘The Temple and the Church’s Mission.’

Far more than I could begin to outline in a weekly reflection, but once you begin to sit into the notion of the importance of ‘temple’ several other things also slot into place.

Most importantly is that we, being united (clothed) with Christ, become living temples.

1 Corinthians 3:16, ‘Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst.’

That was always God’s plan as outlined in Genesis. God coming to live amongst his creation in the temple of the Garden of Eden, in the Tabernacle and the Temple, then in Jesus and now in us!

Where this reading of Scripture takes you is far reaching and gives much to mediate upon.

One strand of thought I have been pondering upon is the call for us to have faith and belief in God. What’s happens if we flip that around. Not saying our belief and faith is unimportant, but perhaps of equal and possibly more importance is God’s faith and belief in us, the carriers of God’s image, the Imago Dei.   

I think that works in this way.

Just before we travelled I received a letter as a volunteer with Prison Fellowship Letter Link. I brought the letter with me so that I could get a stamp and post it. Through a secure system run by PF, I am in correspondence with a prisoner who has asked to join the scheme. Now apart from the mention once of going to a Bible study I have no idea if this man has any faith or belief in God. What I do know is that I am child of God, and that I am filled with God’s Spirit (temple).

(On the Letter Writing scheme see - letter writing - Prison Fellowship)

Through this I know that God believes and has faith in me.  Furthermore, God trusts me enough to act as his agent engaging in correspondence with this person as a practical expression of God’s faith and belief in him.

John 15:16 ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’

What might it mean if we were to live deep into the reality of being God’s temple, a heaven and earth reality, walking, talking, helping and assisting, whenever and wherever we go and what ever we do. Sharing the good news that God has faith in them and believes in them and wants to come and abide in them.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3.20.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Death and Taxes' - transcript of sermon 18th October 2026 @ St Oswald's Rugby

 

Matthew 22:15-22

Bejamin Franklin in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, in 1789 wrote, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

Although Franklin popularised the phrase the earliest known iteration was by Christopher Bullock in1716.

And death and taxes are a perfect summary of our Gospel story set for today.

What do I mean by that?

Well taxes are obvious.

Throughout its history, Rome was constantly at war. This led to the development of a large and expensive professional army, paid for through extensive taxation.

And Judea was one such place that fell to the mighty Roman war machine.

In 63 BCE, Pompey marched into Jerusalem, sacked the city, and reduced the Jewish kingdom to a Roman client state. Rome then restructured Judea into five autonomous districts, each with its own religious council, weakening central authority.

During the Roman civil wars, control weakened, and in 40 BCE the Parthians briefly seized Palestine, installing Antigonus, the last Hasmonean king. But Herod, son of Antipater, fled to Rome, where the Senate named him 'King of the Jews.' With Roman military backing, he reclaimed Judea by 37 BCE, ending Hasmonean independence.

Herod, son of Antipater becomes Herod the Great, established as a vassal King of Rome, creating a dynasty and giving rise to the Herodians.  

That bit of information is going to be important later, so tuck it away and remember it.

And the Jews had to pay for the privilege of being under Roman occupation with their puppet king.

This had led to a Jewish tribute tax revolt led by Judas in 6/7AD. It was brutally put down by the Romans and thousands of young Jewish men were crucified.

It’s worth thinking about that for a moment.

Imagine if you will, that Russia is victorious in their war against Ukraine and occupy the country. And then they demand taxes off Ukrainians to pay for the war and the Russian military based in Ukraine.

That’s what’s going on here with the Judeans paying taxes to the occupying Roman forces.

And was Jesus setting up to lead another tribute tax revolt. That must have a been a question hanging in the air.

Over the last few weeks, we have been tracking Jesus since his triumphal entrance in Jerusalem.

Jesus has his authority questioned, he has debated and told parables, all barbed. For example, Matthew 21:43 “For I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit.”    

And so - the Pharisee’s went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.’ 

They devised a killer question, a question by committee. And it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to envisage them sitting around having a heated debate about this upstart Northern rabbi whom the populace seemed to love. But who challenged them, and their authority. And as far as they could see, was in danger of delaying the coming of the Messiah by leading people astray and possibly bring the wrath of Rome down on their heads. 

The killer question!

Much like a good journalist today, who challenges a politician with a question that will put them in a very difficult situation.

A double bind.

Death and taxes – well we have the taxes and have considered the bitter and understandable resentment of having to pay this tax.

What about the death?

Well, we can see that whichever way Jesus answers this question, if he answers with a simple binary choice, pay the tax to Caesar or don’t pay the tax, either way he answers they have him.

Now look carefully who is sent to put the killer question before Jesus.

^‘They, that is the Pharisees, sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.’

The story of Jesus brings together some very odd bedfellows, even Pilate and Herod we are told became friends!

So, we have the Herodians. Remember those? The ones who accepted the Roman rule and authority. Probably doing quite well out of it as well financially.

And we have students of the Pharisees.

The trap is set.

Pay the taxes to Rome, and that’s going to be the death of Jesus reputation as a devout Jewish Rabbi. What kind of Rabbi would tell students to simple accept the Roman occupation when all the writings and the prophets declared this was God’s land and the Judeans were God’s chosen people. Jesus is corrupting the mind of these Pharisaic disciples by saying we should simply accept and pay for the Roman tax.

And then the Herodians are waiting to pounce if he says, no, don’t pay the tax. They are in kowtow with their Roman overlords. They would very quickly pass on any message that suggest opposition to the Roman authority.

They present Jesus with a double bind.

And they preface their poisonous question with honeyed words.

“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.

The first response from Jesus – you hypocrites.

And a hypocrite is a person who pretends to have beliefs, virtues, or moral standards that they do not actually possess, originating from the Greek word for "actor."

Jesus immediately begins to answer their question by asking for a coin in which the taxes are to be paid.

Remember, we are still in the Temple where Jesus has been teaching and debating.

You can feel the tension and drama as Jesus takes the coin, turns it over a few times, then holds it up and asks

 “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

This very important, because Jesus asked them to show him the coin used for paying the tax. Someone was carrying this coin in the Temple precincts.

And the image and inscription?

 On the obverse: A portrait of Emperor Tiberius facing right. The inscription around the portrait translated into English reads “Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus, Augustus.”

And on the reverse: Shows the Roman goddess Livia. She is seated, holding a branch and a sceptre. The inscription encircling her says “PONTIF MAXIM”, a position of a chief priest in Ancient Rome.

If there’s one thing we know about the Pharisees is the meticulous concern for keeping the law as zealous Jews.

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”

The Pharisees refused to handle this Roman coinage and yet here is someone in in the Temple carrying this blasphemous image.

And then did Jesus flip the coin back to the person who had given to him, pause just for a moment, and then say,

“Give to back Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give back to God what belongs to God.”

And we are told that they were amazed – what we might say in modern parlance, they were gobsmacked!

Notice Jesus doesn’t answer the question directly but pushes it back to them to ponder over.

Okay you Pharisee’s, you don’t put any value on this tribute coin, then give it back to its owner, no problems.

You Herodians, well you may not like the image and inscription, but you have already bought into the whole Roman rule, so what’s the problem in paying this tribute tax.  

And this is not a simple binary that creates two domains, the state and the church.

That’s too simple a reading.

The work we have to do with this story is figuring out what belongs to God.

At one level that is not that difficult because everything belongs to God, everything is gift.

As Paul reminded the Athenians when speaking at the Areopagus, ‘for in him we live and move and exist; as also some of your own poets have put it, ‘For we are his offspring.’

Eventually we will give back everything, even our breath and our heartbeat.

And it is good if we can begin to live with this as a reality now.

That is our journey as apprentices to Jesus.

And cautiously let me say a word about paying back to Caesar.

We may well be familiar with Romans 13, beginning with these words, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

However, this needs to be put into a broader context, subject to scrutiny and soaked in prayer.

Take for example Edith Cavel. The Church commemorated her life and sacrifice on Monday last, the 12^th October.

Edith Cavel was a British nurse, working in German-occupied Belgium during the First World War. She helped hundreds of British, French and Belgian soldiers escape the Germans. Eventually she was arrested, tried and executed on the 12^th October 1915.

She did not accept the authority imposed by the Germans.

There are times when it is right and proper and our Christian duty to question ruling authorities and sometimes even stand in opposition.

And here’s the thing, the more we lean into God, the more we offer our lives, the more we give to God the things that belong to God, the better we will be able to make that call about paying tribute to those in authority. Paul in his letter to the Romans writes,

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1

Yesterday (17th October) we celebrated the life of St Ignatious of Loyola and I end by using one of his prayers as we offer up our lives to God.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding

and my entire will.

All I have and call my own,

You have given all to me,

to you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace,

that is enough for me. Amen.

https://youtu.be/QZW4_8_zCBE?si=aDafAVCYeGro2Mpy

To see the sermon in context follow this link....

Sunday 18th October 10.30 am service

 

'All Are Invited' - Weekly Reflection 11th October 2026

 Today, 11^th October is Prisons Sunday leading into Prisons Week. 

I had the Prayer Guides for the week out sitting on the stairs ready to take to Church. My wife noticed them and said jokingly, “now that could be misunderstood, prisons week and all are invited.!”

‘All are invited’ is the strap line being used for this year’s Prisons Week and is taken from the parable Jesus tells in Mathew 22:1-14, the RCL Gospel set for today.

However, this parable is easy to misunderstand and is complex, at least as Matthew has chosen to tell the story. Luke’s version (chapter 14:15-24) is easier on the eye and easier on the conscious.

Luke gives us no king, but simply ‘a certain man.’

And a king is our first problem. Some might view this king as being representative of God. Okay, but look at what this king does to those who maltreated and abused his messengers. Is that retributive justice, almost revenge, really an image of God Matthew is trying to portray?

Luke has this ‘certain man’ getting angry but no mention of violence and destruction that Matthew brings into the story. 

Matthew’s rendition is a horror film of nightmarish proportions.

And as with several of Jesus’ parables we often have a ‘popular’ version in our minds.

However, I would encourage you to go and dig deep, to seek to discern and discover why Matthew might have told this story in this way.  

Let me lay a few foundations to get you started.

Most important, this is a parable, it is a story, a story that will offer multiple meanings. Some obvious, other cryptic and hidden.

The consider the contexts.

The original context, that is, Jesus’ context. Who is he addressing here?  Where is he? What is happening, noting that we are drawing closer to the Passion, nearer to Jesus’ death.

Then what is happening with Matthew’s community, which most scholars agree was a Jewish context. And we can be certain that the Temple has been destroyed by the time of Matthew writing his Gospel. For Matthew and his community, a king in the form of the Roman Emperor’s servants had come and destroyed and killed. Just who is the ‘king’ in Matthew’s telling?

And then finally, what of our own context. What can we learn about God’s will and ways, his purposes and plans in our day and age.

Also excluded from Luke version is the poor unfortunate soul who turned up inappropriately dressed and finds himself cast into outter darkness.

What are we to make of this man inappropriately dressed.

Remember, this a parable and so we are allowed to play with the images it offers. There are multiple ways we can discern the wisdom from this story. There is not one correct interpretation.

So, this man, not wearing wedding clothes.

Some comment that a host would have often provided a wedding garment for guests who might not have one or couldn’t afford one.  And although there is no firm evidence of such a practise, it does help to make some sense in this context. 

Have you ever found yourself in this situation, inappropriately dressed?

There are those who have made a long trip to visit someone in prison only to be told they are unable to enter the prison because they, or their children are inappropriately dressed.

Checking the dress code is important.

And this pushes me back to something I have been reflecting upon a lot since reading Stephen Cherry’s book, ‘Unforgivable?: Exploring the Limits of Forgiveness.’  In certain cases, repentance must proceed forgiveness, otherwise it might be unwise or even dangerous to offer forgiveness.

This also pushes my mind back to our Gospel readings over the past couple of weeks.

The story of where Jesus’ authority is questioned and then the story of the two sons, one saying yes, but not doing what he said he would, the other saying no, but then repenting and going to work in his father’s vineyard.

John the Baptizer, whom Jesus references when questioned about his authority, railed against the Pharisees, who came to see what John was doing but refused the baptism he was offering, “But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

The talk must be followed by the walk.

We might say, I believe in Jesus, that’s great, but so does the devil!

A question then as we reflect on this man dressed inappropriately.

What is the dress code to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well, thankfully Colossians 3.12 begins to answer that question for us.

^“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Therefore, my challenge to us this week is to think about what’s in your wardrobe?

And the good news is that all we have to do is ask and receive the robes of righteousness that Jesus offers.

‘Everyone is invited to the banquet’ – and…

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61.10

 

All Are Invited

 https://youtu.be/O3Cv-cH3a9s?si=qzS0312JsmAYP4AA

 

'Beyond Redemption' - weekly reflection 4th October 2026

 We have had our grandchildren over for the weekend, picking them up from school on Friday after school and dropping them back home Sunday afternoon. These are our twin boys, aged seven and very full on. On my last birthday they bought me a Journal where we could write things about us and about me. Over breakfast I was filling it in with one of the boys. Now like all children they pick up words and phrases from all sorts of places and can sometime use them inappropriately. One of those phrases is, ‘I hate that.’  We came upon a section in the Journal which was headed, ‘Likes and Dislikes,’ asking question about clothes, food and other activities.

The first section was sub-titled, ‘Grandad likes to… The next section had the sub-title of, ‘Grandad hates.’  And so, I wrote underneath ‘Grandad does not hate anything or anyone.’  Then changed the questions about things I dislike.

The word ‘hate’ has several derivations in the Bible which occurs over 150 times. Hate is seen as a negative emotion that goes against the teachings of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Jesus Christ taught his followers in Matthew 5:44 to love their enemies and bless those persecuting them. Furthermore, Paul also urged believers to put away hate and bitterness Ephesians 4:31. He emphasizes the need to let go of negative emotions and instead cultivate a spirit of love and forgiveness. I John 2:9 also highlights that hate is incompatible with a life of faith and is contrary to the teachings of Christianity. However, as you would expect from a large corpus of material like the Bible, the story is more complex and nuanced.  

For example, Psalm 11.15, ‘The Lord examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.’

Then from Isaiah, 1.14-15,

Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
    I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.

It is well worth checking out verses 16-20 to find out why as it offers a damning indictment on so much that has happened and continues to happen amongst the People of God!

And unless you have been on a silent retreat on a deserted island you can't be unaware that the hate and the bile being spewed out across the world is palpable.

I have been reading some of the Facebook threads concerning Christa Pike. I am pleased that most of the comments say how outdated and utterly abhorrent the death sentence is. However, one comment I read which I found disturbing simply said, after a rehearsal of the horrific crime Christa did, ‘she doesn’t deserve to be alive.’ That statement chills me to the bone.

Added to this we have had the early release of prisoners in the UK raising the temperature on our judicial system. There are obvious and legitimate concerns for people’s safety, especially if the harmer could gain access to the harmed.

And all of this just before we have Prison’s Sunday (11^th October) leading into Prisons Week, 11^th – 17^th October.

Campaign Page - Prisons Week

Can we try and be as informed as we can be about our prions. And can we have sensible conversations about the role and purpose of prisons.

The death penalty is obviously about retribution and possible revenge. The statistics demonstrate that it has never acted as deterrent. And it most certainly isn’t about restorative justice.

Some make appeal to the dictum, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, see Exodus 24.1 & Matthew 5.8. Somewhat erroneously attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, is the development on this code, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”. (It is very much in the style of others sayings by Gandhi but there’s no evidence that he ever said it.) Whether Gandhi said it or not, there is a truth in this idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth would mean a world of full of the blind and toothless. 

I remember as a child going on holiday to a large house in St Anne’s, just down the road from Blackpool. A large group of children from around Lancashire were taken there because they were orphans or because of family situation’s being difficult. (I was there with my two older brothers following the death of our father in a road traffic accident) One day one of the other boys bit me on the arm. I was taken into a room and received treatment. Then the ‘culprit’ was brought in and made to stand in front of me and his shirt sleeve was rolled up. I was then told to bite him back on the arm. I refused.

Brutal logic, like for like, injury for injury. That is what some are saying about Christi Pike. She killed another young girl in the most horrific of ways and therefore should pay the ultimate penalty.  

Interestingly it is the pharmaceutical companies in America that have said that they will not produce the drugs used to execute people. Therefore, there is a question over their effectiveness and where they are getting them from. Now, some people are making ‘alternative’ suggestions.  

Now I appreciate that I have not had to endure the awfulness of having my own child brutally murdered. Although the 9^th October will be fourth anniversary of a 22-year-old family member being murdered by someone weaponizing their car and driving into a group of young people outside an all-night eatery. So, I have stood close enough to know something of the pain and trauma of parents losing a child in this way.

Clearly our own prison system in the UK is under enormous strain. The UK holds the highest per-capita incarceration rate in Western Europe — at 136.2 prisoners per 100,000 people in England and Wales, compared to an EU average of 117, just 107 in France, and a mere 67 in Germany.

Source: Incarceration Statistics in UK 2026 | Numbers, Demographics & Key Facts – The Global Statistics

This is why we need to have better conversations and find a better way forward. The answer cannot simply be to build more prisons.

Not wishing to be flippant but there is scene in the comedy ‘Thin Blue Line’ that is focussing on so called 'juvenile delinquents.' The answer is simple, says DC Kray, build juvenile detention centres next to the maternity wing, straight out of mum and into prison.

I do wonder sometimes if some people think this might be a good idea. 

And amongst all the back and forth on social media over the past few weeks has been this heartwarming story; Rugby foodbank

Rugby Foodbank receives 90kg food donation from HMP Rye Hill inmates

Last week, we received one of the most incredible donations we've ever seen - over 90kg of food donated by the inmates at HMP Rye Hill.

The men there receive only a small amount of money each week to spend in the prison canteen. Yet they chose to use some of that money to help us. Take a moment to think about that - people behind prison walls helping others.

This donation is a powerful reminder that kindness can come from the most unexpected places. This demonstrates that people are far more than the mistakes they may have made in the past. From everyone at Rugby Foodbank, thank you.

This is community. This is hope. This is what kindness looks like.

And a question for us to ponder on this week. Is there anyone who is beyond hope of any kind of redeption and restoration back into society? If so, how should we keep them and ourselves safe from any further harm? 

https://youtu.be/uY46Bea7w74?si=ATx-hbSmHI1mD7Xj