Why Doesn’t God Just…?
In Luke 9, Jesus and his disciples try to pass through a Samaritan town, but are not welcomed because he is a Jew heading for Jerusalem. The Bible doesn’t explain exactly in what way the people “did not welcome him,” but they must have been quite rude, because two of Jesus’ disciples suggest calling fire […]
Dear Death, or Dark Devourer?
We are very affected at the moment by the deaths of two dear church family members. We are sad. We also hold to the greatest possible hope of the resurrection to eternal life. Death is an alien intruder into God’s good creation. It is a part of the disfigurement of God’s world caused by the […]
Weirdo!
Sometimes, being a Christian can seem a little… weird. On the Day of Pentecost, God poured out the Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way (Acts 2:1–21). Miraculous signs followed—believers spoke languages they’d never learned, so that foreign visitors could understand them. The experience was so intense that some bystanders thought they were drunk […]
Face to Face with God
We all know the phrase, “the church is not the building, the church is the people.” But the building does matter as well! That’s why we at Golden Grove UC spend time and money improving, repairing and renovating our property. It was like this in Biblical times as well. Five chapters in the Bible (1 […]
All Things Bright & Beautiful… Forever
Louis Armstrong sang, “It’s a beautiful world”. It’s true, it is. Even in face of all the horror, injustice, pollution, disaster, evil and death! There is an irrepressible beauty that can still be seen following, and even in the midst of, all of these things. God originally declared of His whole creation, “It is very good” […]
There’s No One Like Mum!
There was no other way for us to have life, and all the wonder of it, than to be born into it by our mothers. Only our mothers had what was required to make this happen. Consequently, we are all eternally grateful to them, and love them very much. Happy Mother’s Day to all mums out […]
Politics & Grace
In Mark chapter 12, Jesus argues with the Sadducees who wouldn’t believe in the resurrection, and with the Pharisees about which commandment was the most important. These two groups were a bit like the left-wing liberals and right-wing conservatives of today; the former emphasizing individual rights and free thinking, the latter focused on the strict […]
You Can Get Out of The Grave
How would life be different if we knew that we could get out of the grave? Think of that…. that following our present life and death, that we could be raised to life again, with our recognizable body, yet transformed with strength and made glorious beyond our dreams, never to sicken or die, but to […]
The Unexpected Neighbour
Luke 10:25-37 In The Lord of the Rings, the hobbit, Frodo, has been wounded by an evil blade; approaching death his friends fly with him to escape their enemies; he loses consciousness; all is lost! …. After many days Frodo awakens in the sanctuary of Rivendell, lovingly tended back to health by Elrond, King of the […]
Surprising The Neighbours
Luke 10:25-37 There may be no more famous parable of Jesus than the one about the man who fell among thieves, and a Samaritan man who had mercy on him and helped him. Jesus concludes this teaching with the powerful command that we go and do the same. Unfortunately this parable is often read only […]