Friday, May 26, 2017

Your truth is your truth, My truth is my truth. What nonsense!

  ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate.

Pilate says to Jesus at His trial “What is truth?” This is a question that is debated to this day, “How do we define truth?” Pilate would have debated this question during his education which qualified him as Rome’s legal administrator of Judea. He will have studied the same philosophers that form the basis of western philosophy today, namely Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Their teaching was already a few hundred years old by the time of Jesus, and that same teaching is taught in universities today ... and that same question is debated in first year law courses and in many of the arts subjects: What is truth?

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Wesley's Hymn for Ascension Day


Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!


Circled round with angel powers, Alleluia!
Their triumphant Lord, and ours, Alleluia!
Conqueror over death and sin, Alleluia!
“Take the King of glory in! Alleluia!”


Him though highest Heav’n receives, Alleluia!
Still He loves the earth He leaves, Alleluia!
Though returning to His throne, Alleluia!
Still He calls mankind His own, Alleluia!


See! He lifts His hands above, Alleluia!
See! He shows the prints of love, Alleluia!
Hark! His gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
Blessings on His church below, Alleluia!


Still for us His death He pleads, Alleluia!
Prevalent He intercedes, Alleluia!
Near Himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
Harbinger of human race, Alleluia!

Master, (will we ever say), Alleluia!
Taken from our head to day, Alleluia!
See Thy faithful servants, see, Alleluia!
Ever gazing up to Thee, Alleluia!

Grant, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluia!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
Seeking Thee beyond the skies, Alleluia!


Ever upward let us move, Alleluia!
Wafted on the wings of love, Alleluia!
Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!
Longing, gasping after home, Alleluia!



There we shall with Thee remain, Alleluia!
Partners of Thy endless reign, Alleluia!
There Thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee, Alleluia!

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Back to the Beginning, Into the Future




This morning we are going Back to the Beginning to remind ourselves of the relationship that God established with humans when He created them and I'm going to suggest that the word "Partnership" best describes that relationship. We were created to partner with God in the rule and care of creation. Sin disrupts and destroys that partnership and most of the Bible is about the lengths God will go to in order to restore that partnership so that we can once again take up the role we were created for. Those lengths culminate of course in the life, death and resurrection of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can be born again, this time with power from above; saved from the sin that destroyed the partnership and set free to be everything God intended. We can of course use the word relationship instead of partnership, but as you will see, and perhaps already know, partnership implies a lot more than relationship.