MARY AND MARTHA
Presentation on Luke 10:38-42 and the painting by Velázquez

Diego Velázquez (1599 – 1660), Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, 1618, oil on canvas, 60 x 103.5 cm, National Gallery, London

Phyllis:
What do we ourselves bring to the experience of looking at a work of art? And what do we ourselves bring when we seek to understand a story in the Bible? Today we’re going to explore the importance of becoming aware of what has shaped the artist or the writer, and aware of what is shaping us. Aware of what we can call ‘context’, at least the context of the actual painting of the picture, or the writing of the story, and aware also of our own context. And there may be other contexts to become aware of as well. Read more

You may have heard of the record breaking tennis match at Wimbledon. Played last week, the match was the longest in history. It lasted eleven hours and was played over three days. It involved 183 games and 215 aces were served. The final set was won 70 games to 68. Such was the match’s duration even the electronic scoring board struggled to keep up. When the match finally ended, the gathered crowd gave  the two players a standing ovation as they each collapsed into their seats on the courtside.
I mention this not only because it is a great story, but because it reminded me of the debates to have engulfed the church over the years. Read more

I received a letter a week or so back. It was dated the 17th March 1927. Passed on to me by a parishioner, it revealed one side of a conversation between a father and a son. The son was obviously in two minds about whether to be confirmed and so he had sought the advice of his father.
The reply, beautifully handwritten on seventeen pages of paper, reveals the depth of the familial relationship and also the intelligence of its author. It is the kind of letter I would love to be able to write to my own children.
But the letter is also deeply challenging. Read more

Who doesn’t know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk?
It’s a story about a boy, his mum, a cow and some beans and a few more things that follow on.
Before we know how it all works out, albeit happily, one could be forgiven for thinking that when Jack went off to market, sold the cow, got side-tracked and bought some magic beans, he’d completely lost the plot. His mum clearly thought so when she tossed the beans out the window. Read more

Peter Stuart:
What images come to mind when you think of the Resurrection of Jesus? And how should artists go about picturing it?

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You may have noticed most of what I say on a Sunday morning has a positive spin to it. I prefer to focus on such themes as beauty and compassion and courage. I do this because so much of what is said, especially in the media, is fixated on the negative. And so instead of bombarding you with more depressing information, I want to inspire you to live full lives, meaningful lives, fulfilling your human potential, experiencing God’s presence in the beauty of the world around you, as well as in the faces of those you meet and engage with day by day.
But today I want to deviate from the norm, at least for a moment. Read more