Revd Caroline's Retirement Thoughts

  Sunday 20 th  October Garsington.   How do we become great?   What does your mind picture when you ponder the question.  If I am brutally honest, I am influenced by models of earthly success.  During this week England have appointed a new Football Manager, rightly or wrongly he will be judged by the press and by the fans on his success, there may well be a honeymoon period, but he will need to have a winning record and hopefully some silverware to show for it.   I last preached here a few weeks ago and the lectionary invited a similar sort of reflection on the nature of greatness. These questions are floating around because we are reading through Mark 9 and 10.  Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem and is teaching the disciples on the way.  If there is a lot of repetition, I get the sense this is because for the disciples (and perhaps for us all) this is hard teaching.  Jesus, you see turns any idea of ea...

  Sunday 6 th  October 2024 Cuddesdon   Today’s gospel reading continues in the section of Mark where Jesus is leading the disciples toward Jerusalem. There is an undergirding theme of care for the vulnerable.   Jesus is proclaiming a topsy turvy kingdom where greatness is expressed through service of those who need lifting.     Jesus has consistently asked them to use what they have in service of those who are most vulnerable: children, the poor, those denied status.    The opening verses in the gospel on marriage and divorce may sound jarring to us in our 21 st century context but I think it is helpful to put Jesus’ teaching on divorce into this category Given the way divorce worked in the ancient world (and often still does today), certain people were disproportionately hurt in a divorce—especially women and the children they cared for.  I don’t want to delve deeply into this part of the passage but want to concentrate today...