Revd Caroline's Retirement Thoughts

  St Mary’s Wheatley 26 th January 2025   Today’s gospel reading from Luke, gives us the story of Jesus returning home to Nazareth. The narrative gives us the story of Jesus’ first act of public ministry. Following his baptism in the River Jordan and his time in the desert wilderness fast and temptation, Jesus returns to his home country, Galilee and the city of Nazareth, there were probably about 12000 people so a small town. Reports about him have been spreading through the population, probably the result of his healing miracles and his synagogue teaching. When Jesus returns to Nazareth it is quite an occasion!  A sort of local boy returns home to adulation, fascination and a little bit of ‘just who does he think he is’.  A little further on from today’s reading we have these verses ‘all spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”  23  He said to them, “Doubtless you will quo...

  19 th  January 2025   When I was a child my dad a non-drinker used to sing a song called a pub with no beer, I will spare you my singing, but I looked it up on Google and I think there were the words; ‘but there's nothin' so lonesome, so morbid or drear  as to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer’.  For some reason whenever I hear this story of the wedding party at  Cana  I get an ear worm and think of this song and of my dad.  A wedding without wine reminds me of a pub without beer! weddings and wine belong together.     This is an exhilarating gospel story, I find it very easy to imagine the scene. Jesus is the protagonist but says very little – only three short sentences – yet the whole story is a revelation, a disclosing, an epiphany.    An epiphany is a revealing of that which is hidden, and as we go through the Christian year, we learn how Jesus reveals the nature of God to us through the...

  Epiphany 2025 St Giles Horspath   Today we anticipate the Feast of Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas which is tomorrow.  What we celebrate at Epiphany is a deep mystery – God’s revelation to the world in Jesus Christ, born as a humble, vulnerable child in an out of the way place.  Emmanuel, God with us.    The Epiphany narrative occurs only In Matthew’s gospel; the Magi strangers from far away. Here is a key message at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, a gospel written for a largely Jewish community, this is that Jesus is here not just for the Jewish people but for all.   When they do find him, their first instinct is to stoop low and worship him.   These Magi/wise men who were probably learned and used to high status have the sense to know that they do not have all the answers, to know what you don’t know is an important kind of wisdom.    The Magi have dropped everything, left their country and the comforts of ho...

  Garsington Sunday 29 th  December     Christian children all must be mild, obedient good as he. A well-known but not terribly realistic couplet from Once in Royal City, curry can be mild, weather can be mild, the boy Jesus the boy Jesus is anything but mild! Our gospel reading today is a supremely important reading.  It is a story only seen in Luke’s gospel and a reading which gives us a sole glimpse of Jesus growing up, so here he is a 12-year-old boy, who has given his exasperated parents the slip!   John Bell member of the Iona Community and writer of many hymns suggests an adaption to Once in Royal with the following couplet.   Christian children must abscond if of God they’re truly fond.   Mary and Joseph appear to have lost Jesus; we can probably easily imagine those feelings of cold-blooded panic.  Have you ever lost a child, grandchild or someone you were looking after even for a few moments on a supermarket visit or a wal...

  Horspath 2024 Christmas Day Today, both of our readings speak of a sense of darkness and of light and of the promise of hope entering that darkness.    The Revd Sue Lupp talking about these passages speaks of them as Estuary Readings, I have never heard that and was very struck by what she said. In an estuary, the freshwater of the river meets the saltwater of the oceanThe combining of the waters makes a difference as the salt content is changed.  I think that we see something of an estuary in our readings and songs Tonight/today. "The essence of Christmas is the greatness of God coming down to meet us and sweep us into the bigger picture of his love and His kingdom."  (“Christmas Eve: The Estuary of Christmas | The Irreverent Reverend”)  In our reading from the prophet Isaiah the people of Israel who Isaiah was prophesying to were in slavery in Babylon. The Israelites needed to be reminded that better times were ahead. God had not forgotten them; He was ...

All Saints morning 2024     Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints; as well as singing some great hymns and hearing much loved bible texts we think with thanksgiving of those before us, those ahead of us and those with us.  This is a day for celebration, reflection and to glimpse the hope which calls us forth to fullness of life.   This morning through the word, song, prayer, and Eucharist, we place ourselves within the Christian story as we recall and celebrate that this life is not all there is. We are not merely a happenstance, a coming together of molecules in a certain time and place bu t  people of ultimate loved and created by God, not just now but for eternity. Each one of us is unique, each one loved beyond measure.    The gospel reading chosen for All Saints Day is the raising of Lazarus from John. It happens to be one of my favourite NT passages; I think because it is one of the most intimate in the bible and it presents us wit...