Why The Cross
The Trouble with Work
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Trouble with Work audio
[{Based on the book: Every Good Endeavour by Tim Keller}
Benjamin Franklin once wrote that nothing in this world can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. But of course he could have added work to that short list, couldn't he?
To reword a proverb recorded by Erasmus: “Work: you can’t live with it; and you can’t live without it.”
That’s the trouble with work. We want to do it. If you’ve ever been unemployed you’ll know how much you wish you had a job. I retired from being a Vicar about 12 months ago and it was great for about 3 weeks, then I started looking for things to do: because life quickly gets boring without any work to do.
But on the other hand, work is a pain; it’s often hard, or boring, or frustrating. Not that we should be surprised, if we’re familiar with the creation story from Gen 2-3.
Funeral Jo Tyler
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Funeral Jo Tyler Audio
2 Tim 4:7-8
I first met Jo some 17 years ago. I think she contacted me because her ex-husband Graham was dying and she was looking for someone to take the funeral, which I was glad to do. Naturally I encouraged her to come and join St Theo’s but she wasn’t too sure about that. She hadn’t been going to church recently. Her faith was in a sense dormant at that stage and she wasn’t sure she’d fit in. Jo was an interesting mix of introvert and extrovert; slow to join in, but the life of the party once she felt comfortable in a group.
Well we kept encouraging her and eventually she took the brave step of coming to church where she was warmly welcomed and before long was part of the community. She got involved in Theo’s Market. She joined an Alpha course as a way of refreshing her faith and then when we formed a follow up Bible study group she even offered to host it. It was wonderful to see the way her faith came back to life as she embraced the community of St Theo’s.
Of course her faith had always been there. She knew what she believed. Libby & Kim reminded me the other day how she was always adamant that the cross had to be empty because she believed in a Christ who died and then rose again. Jesus is no longer on the cross; he’s risen and seated at the right hand of the Father.
Which brings me to the passage we just had read to us. At the end of his life Paul gives this great testimony, that could equally have been Jo’s: “7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Radical Discipleship - Simply Care
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- Written by: Ruth Newmarch
Simply Care audio (6MB)
Gen 1:26-28
Acts 4:32-37
Today is George and Sarah’s last Sunday here. Last Sunday George preached his last sermon as curate of St Thomas, and a number of people commented on how helpful it was. He reminded us of Jesus’ final instructions - Go and make disciples (or learner-followers) of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to keep everything Jesus had commanded them. George reminded us that St Thomas’ mission statement reflects this: Speak the gospel - God’s incredible grace, which causes people to become disciples/learner-followers, Teach the Bible - because that’s where we’ll find what Jesus taught, and Build community that demonstrates God’s love - community grows from the people of all nations who become disciples.
I think George wanted to leave us with a sense of his and Sarah’s enthusiasm for this!...so we follow in their footsteps – put our sadness at their leaving into positive action!
Radical Discipleship - Balance
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Radical Discipleship - Balance - audio (6MB)
1 Peter 2:1-17
As we think about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, particularly a radical disciple, one of the questions we need to ask is who are we meant to be? You see, it’s important to ask that question if you want to know how you should act. Sometimes the way we act determines what sort of person we are. But more often who we are as a person determines how we act, the way we speak, the way we relate to other people.
So who are you as a Christian? In the passage we just read, Peter gives us a series of metaphors to help us think through that question.
Matthew 28:1-20 Non-Conformity & Christlikeness
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- Written by: George Hemmings
Easter Sunday - Non-conformity & Christlikeness audio (4MB)
Matt 28:1-20
‘Greetings!’ It’s not the kind of thing you expect a dead man to say. But then why should Jesus’ death be any different to his life which was characterised by non-conformity?
