Reflections for August 2026

The days of thinking of God as a white man with a white beard on a white cloud, staring down at us judgmentally, are gone, I hope. The gospel message that Jesus connected with God not just as a father, but as a loving “abba”, wanting a close and intimate relationship with all his children, […]

We are used to the idea that someone should be appointed to a job because they have the capability to do it. And if you want to progress, then you need to show the competence to succeed at the next level. We know that in practice this isn’t always true, but it’s an ideal we

All our readings this week share the message about the inclusiveness of God. The recognition that God calls all people, all races, all nations, to his holy mountain can sometimes be one of the most difficult things to accept in the revelation we have received.  We have such a strong instinct that our relationship with

We heard last week how, after Jesus’ cousin John was murdered, he attempted to go off by himself but was followed by crowds who wouldn’t leave him be.  Taking pity on their neediness he cures and feeds them. Now we hear how following this he does escape the crowds for a little while, and sends

Over the last few weeks Matthew has led us through Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom – how are we to understand this extraordinary relationship that God has formed with his people. Now Matthew takes us a different direction (Matthew 14:13-21).  The event that marks this switch is the death of John the Baptist. It may