by Janice MacLean | Jan 23, 2021 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 For too long when I imagined the gifts of the spirit, I saw bowls of fruit. An apple labelled Love. A banana stamped with...
by Janice MacLean | Sep 8, 2019 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our...
by Janice MacLean | Jan 12, 2019 | Reflections
“If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Acts 8:37 Turn to Acts 8. Read out verse 37. If you are reading a newer translation of the Bible, You may find a gap between verse 36 and...
by Janice MacLean | Dec 28, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” — John 3:16 Our first hint of incarnation comes in the creation story. God makes all this stuff out of darkness: a fire...
by Janice MacLean | Oct 23, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.” – Luke 5:19 NKJV Come, imagine with me! What would it feel like in...
by Janice MacLean | Oct 22, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“The disciples gathered around Jesus, and told him all they had done and taught.” – Mark 6:30 What a day. The disciples return from their mission of teaching and curing the sick. They gather around Jesus ‘telling him all they had done and taught.’ Jesus...
by Janice MacLean | Oct 16, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. — Matthew 13:34 Like an artist who doesn’t explain her work but shows it to you, Jesus tells parables and expects his hearers (and we are hearers more than listeners!)...
by Janice MacLean | Sep 28, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” – Malachi 4:2 The last book in the Hebrew Bible has God’s Messenger dealing with...
by Janice MacLean | Sep 12, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“In the night I saw a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen; and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they...
by Janice MacLean | Sep 11, 2018 | Lectionary & Scripture, Reflections
“Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.” – Haggai 2:4 “Only a...