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Let them all go?
Exodus 14.19-31 and Matthew 18.21-35 seem in conflict on the subject of forgiveness.
Context
Reflection and ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
It disturbs me how much unforgiveness we witness in the world today!
This week's Old Testament passage (Exodus 14:19-31) is a celebration of the freedom achieved by God leading Moses’ Israelite people out from the slavery of oppression. Yay! It’s a mighty miraculous witness of God’s power! Make no mistake, this was great news… for some. But, it was at the expense of wiping out a huge army of Egyptian soldiers, chariot drivers and horses. This part does not sit well with me. I know that the Egyptians were awful to the Israelites, and I know that they were given 10 chances (plagues) in order to reconsider and change their ways, but I struggle to celebrate one people's freedom and not mourn the loss of another. It is a story that has been repeated throughout history to justify the victory of one people over another – God is believed to go with one side, but not the other. When the power of God is celebrated in this way and an act of mass destruction is justified, I’m sure I can’t be alone in having a moral dilemma.
When Peter asked Jesus that awkward question about how many times he should forgive a brother or sister (Matthew 18:21-35), Peter suggests 7 chances of forgiveness. Depending on which translation you read, Jesus suggests you could forgive 77 times, or 70x7, the implication being that your capacity for forgiveness should be limitless. Jesus backs up his response by telling a story about a wildly disproportionate act of forgiveness, or the lack of it. However, even Jesus concludes the parable with a warning of what God will do to those who ultimately fail to take the path of forgiveness.
Paul (Romans 14:1-12) in his letter to the church in Rome firmly supports and justifies by the law Jesus' approach to forgiveness. Paul urges that it is not up to us to judge or despise our brothers and sisters – judgment is in God’s hands. I suppose in some ways this does bring us back to the fate of the Egyptian army?
In the sad face of recent intolerant protests, I’d want to go in a different direction and remember the warm feeling I experienced at this year’s Greenbelt Festival. Amidst the more gentle protests about the state of our intolerant and unforgiving world at the present time – from Jordan Stephens' (Rizzle Kicks) thoughtful reflections on the negative effects of the manosphere and hyper-masculinity; to four visiting artists of faith from the USA (Speech from Arrested Development, Crys Matthews, Flamy Grant and Lee Bains) sharing their thoughts on what it's like trying to live a creative, generous life in Trump’s (Christian Nationalist) America; to a panel discussion about how we engage with and talk about Christian Nationalism in the UK from a multi-faith perspective – I experienced a particular moment of enlightenment. Finding myself standing right at the front of the main stage arena, I felt the pure joy of tolerance and acceptance exuding from the very pores of the festival. Listening to a style of music that was far from my usual playlist repertoire, I stood in awe of the enthusiasm and integrity of a group of trans beatbox artists. Here, this wonderfully diverse group of people had found acceptance in the arms of an audience gathered together in God’s name! I thought to myself: why can’t the Church be more like this? Why can’t the world? If people aren’t hurting others with their chosen path through life, why can’t people just be free to be who they feel led to be without being protested at or hounded by the narrow-minded and the ignorant?
I think I found hope because I witnessed forgiveness and tolerance in the world today. I’m sure Jesus' answer to Peter’s question still stands as much today as it did then. We will always mourn those who are lost to the seas of hatred, but God has given all people the ability to forgive our brother or sister from our heart. Let it all go!
Questions for discussion
- Have you had moments or periods within your life when you have found that you have not been able to be or express who you truly are? How did those times make you feel? Did you find it within you to forgive those who silenced or oppressed you?
- In what ways have you experienced hurtful intolerance win your church or community?
- Can you encourage people to share positive experiences of times they have been able to express their faith in ways that are fearless, flamboyant and full of heart?
Tim Lowe is a minister of the United Reformed Church, serving in the Leeds URC Partnership. He has been camping at Greenbelt Festival since his late teens (which was quite a long time ago!).
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For many people September is a month of new beginnings:
- Some will be starting “big school” or going into new classes.
- Older teenagers might be going to college or university; starting apprenticeships; or beginning their first "proper" job.
We talk about the new academic year but actually we have moved from the old to the new and now we are in a period of transition.
Transition is a period that is highly charged with emotions. There are a whole range of feelings from excitement to apprehension; joy at what is coming; sorrow at what is being left behind. When we ask the question: Have you settled in? we may expect the answer to be: Yes! but really there is often a while before we have left the period of transition and are truly settled. These emotions overwhelm us whether we are Prince George facing a rainy first day at Eton; the Duke and Duchess of Sussex coming to terms with life back in the UK; or the child facing their first bus ride alone to their new secondary/high school.
These emotions must have overwhelmed the Israelites as they followed Moses through the Red Sea. There would be relief at leaving the hardships of Egypt behind them but also apprehension, maybe even fear, at what future the other side of “the sea” held for them.
God was with them. God didn’t necessarily take away the emotions they were feeling but God enabled them to cope with them. In a sense all of life is a transition. We do not know what tomorrow will hold but, of one thing we can be sure, God will be with us just as God was with the Israelites. God may not take away the traumas but going with God gives us the strength and courage to get through.
Methodist minister Revd Stuart Wild lives in St Annes on the Sea and has not yet seen the sea in the Ribble Estuary part and the way across to Southport become completely dry.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 6 September 2026
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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Freedom or precise rules?
For freedom Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1) but freedom from what?
Context
World-wide the news is dominated by renewed conflict between the USA and Iran and the floods in Nepal. Domestically we have the first appearances in Parliament of our new Prime Minister.
Although the British weather has now reverted to type, none of us can ignore the successive heatwaves over the summer or the temperature records which have been broken. No one weather event should be invoked to argue that climate change is happening or that it is caused by human activity; but much of what we are now witnessing matches the predictions which were being made 30 years ago (as I became Head of Environment at the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food).
At the Greenbelt Festival last Sunday I watched the National Emergency Briefing film. It is presented by Chris Packham and I strongly recommend that you find a screening in your local area and go and watch it. It is full of facts around climate change from military and health experts as well as those with more obvious expertise. Given my background some of the facts were familiar to me but others were not.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
The Exodus story is about how the children of Israel escaped from slavery in Egypt. What are the things which enslave us? Collectively are we in slavery to fossil fuels? What instructions might God now be giving us in our responsibility to care for creation? In what for many is now the Season of Creation, are these issues foremost in our minds? More controversially, are we (in the West at least) enslaved by an economic system which privileges freedom of choice above all else?
Freedom is widely thought to be an important value and objective. But as a concept freedom is more controversial than one might expect. Elon Musk has criticised what he claims is a lack of free speech in the UK but he seems not to have noticed that the USA where he now lives is 64th in the World Press Freedom Index, well below the UK in 18th place.
The gospel is supposed to set us free (Galatians 5:1). But many people around the world live in societies where it is difficult, even illegal, to express some thoughts. Is freedom always and everywhere the most desirable thing? And what is the most important freedom - freedom from hunger, for example, or freedom from slavery, or freedom of thought and speech, or freedom of religion? The Universal Declaration on Human Rights is a useful starting point for thinking about such issues.
The instructions in the Exodus and Matthew passages are remarkably precise. In the case of the Exodus passage we seem to be reading something like a liturgical text, especially as it ends with instructions about an annual festival of remembrance. Some commentators see Jesus’ detailed instructions in the Matthew passage as reflecting issues in the churches for which the author is writing. If the passage is based on specific teaching from Jesus, I find that intriguing, given that so much of Jesus’ teaching is more enigmatic. The story we call the Good Samaritan - and many of the other stories (parables) he told - are designed to make us think rather than offering precise answers like those in this gospel passage. Why might that be? And are precise rules compatible with freedom of thought and action?
Questions for discussion
- Which of the freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights do you most value? And which (if any) would you be content to discard?
- In what circumstances do we need precise rules and when is more general guidance (like ‘love your neighbour’ or ‘feed the hungry’) more helpful?
- What are the things which enslave us and from which we need to be liberated? As individuals, perhaps social media? As a society, perhaps fossil fuels?
Dudley Coates is a local preacher in the Salisbury Methodist Circuit and a former Vice President of the Methodist Conference.
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If football is your thing, you’re bound to know that the transfer window SLAMMED shut this week. Note that it didn’t just finish. It didn’t just close. It SLAMMED shut.
One of modern football’s rules when describing the end of the period when clubs can sell players to each other is that you must use the most dramatic language possible. Indeed, that is their marketing approach to pretty much every aspect of the football season. Every weekend has a “season-defining crunch” and a goal that “will be talked about for the ages” and players who will “never be forgotten”. It sounds great, but these “era-defining” matches disappear from memory in no time - sometimes as quickly as the next weekend.
This week's passage focuses on something that is worth remembering - God’s people being freed from slavery. It begins the night before with the people receiving a set of very specific instructions to follow as they get ready for God’s rescue. These instructions are there to prepare them for the journey to freedom whilst also giving them rituals for future generations to re-enact and remember how their ancestors were rescued by God.
It can be easy to forget who God is and all He has done for us. And yet, if we can find ways to remember who God is - through things like communion, worship and reading our Bibles - that remembering can anchor us through life’s storms and get ready to journey on with God.
Chris Neilands is the co-founder of Play it by Ear drama company, based in Belfast.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 30 August 2026
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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Trust that God will make things happen
God is calling us all to new things - and it is by his strength and power that we can do them. (Exodus 3:1-15)
Context
- Schools are gearing up to return this week, with a focus on the associated costs to parents
- Tributes have been plentiful following the death of Dolly Parton this week.
- Meta has agreed to pay $17billion after losing a court case asserting that its platforms knowingly caused harm to young people.
Reflection & ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
What will it cost? There are some situations where we are able to stop and assess what we will have to pay for something: choosing a restaurant to eat in, shopping for clothes etc. Other costs just hit us - school uniforms being one of those impossible-to-avoid budget lines for parents. Often, money is something that stops us in our tracks when contemplating a new career path or idea. This might be because we don’t have the money to start something new or because we are tied by the need to continue earning our current income. There can be other brakes to our doing something new: a fear of making mistakes, anxiety that it won’t work out and we will be hurt or look foolish.
Moses has left his princely life behind in Egypt and settled into herding sheep for his father-in-law. He isn’t looking for anything new - and can think of good reasons why God should choose someone else. However, God is clear that the key information is in God’s own nature and power - not Moses’ anxiety or lack of ability. Moses is told to stop looking at himself and to instead focus on the burning bush - on God the great I AM. It is by God’s power and God’s strength that the Israelites will be set free.
So for us, do we have a sense of what God is calling us into this coming academic year? Are we focussed on the potential cost and the difficulties ahead of us or are we looking for God and trusting that He will make things happen?
Moses’ concerns came from himself, but Dolly Parton’s life shows us someone succeeding hugely despite doubts and concerns being thrown at them continually from other people. Parton was continually derided, mocked and belittled but had confidence in her own God-given ability. She succeeded to the point where she could wear the criticisms of others almost as a badge of pride and her foundation donated over $12 million to charity before she died this week.
Questions for discussion
- What new things might you be looking at taking up this autumn?
- What reasons do we have for saying no to new things?
- How have you experienced God asking you to do something different?
- What helps you to focus on God ahead of your current situation and difficulties?
Steve Taylor shares the job of joint vicar of St Paul’s CofE Church, Harrow with his wife, Ali. They share their home with their youngest child, two cats, three chickens, and a rabbit.
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School is about to kick off!
Well, at least here in the United Kingdom. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland it has just begun and, if you live somewhere else, it could already be the middle of the school term. Maybe that should have read:
School is about to kick off/has just kicked off/got kicked off a long time ago.
Not as catchy…
Whether you are about to begin school/have just begun school/been in school for ages, there is every chance that the mention of the first day of school comes loaded with a specific set of emotions.
How does the first day back to school make you feel?
Ready and excited? Unsure and nervous? Perhaps a mixture of all these emotions?
In our passage this week, Moses is having a big first day. It is his first day being called to be the leader of the Hebrews. His job is to go to Pharaoh and announce that he will be taking his people out of the Egypt and off to the Promised Land.
He does not feel up to the task. But God tells Moses that He will be with him and that will be enough to face up to any challenge.
Perhaps, as you start this new school year, you can’t imagine what the next few days are going to be like, or perhaps it is the other way around in your head e.g. there is a very clear future of exams, tests and pressure.
No matter how you feel about the journey ahead, remember you don’t go alone. God goes with you, one step at a time.
Chris Neilands is the co-founder of Play it by Ear drama company, based in Belfast.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 23 August 2026
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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Empowered
Who do you say I am? (Matthew 16:15).
Context
This week President Trump posted some AI-generated videos and pictures of himself with George Washington, one of the Founding Fathers and the first President of the United States of America. In one video we saw President Trump walking around showing an impressed George Washington a mock-up of his proposed White House Ballroom. In reality, President Trump is having trouble with Congress over his proposed ballroom and also a proposed triumphal arch in Washington DC.
In other pictures, President Trump shows himself writing with a quill, like Washington, and riding a horse alongside him. The inference is clear: President Trump suggests that he is as great as one of the Founding Fathers, whose power should not be challenged by Congress. And he floats the contentious idea that he should continue for a further term in 2028.
Reflection
In today’s Gospel reading we hear Jesus ask what the popular expectation is around the ‘Son of Man’. The talk is of the return of powerful figures: John the Baptist, and prophets like Elijah. The hope on the street is for a strong Messiah coming back to save the people from Roman oppression. But when Jesus asks Simon Peter, Peter sees that Messiahship is a divine, not earthly, mission. Because of Peter’s insight into Jesus’ true nature and purpose, he is entrusted with the spiritual task of establishing the truth about Jesus on earth. It is a very different scenario from President Trump’s AI aggrandisement. Jesus asks his disciples NOT to proclaim his Messiahship. He turns away from the pull of popular desires around earthly kingship and power and seeks only the path God the Father has laid before him.
Ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
Life can be complicated and frustrating, and it’s tempting to try and set out one’s credentials to pull rank, silence naysayers, and get one’s own way. But that way lies unhealthy patterns of behaviour: abuse of power; self-aggrandisement and pompery; believing stubbornly that others are simply wrong, and refusing to listen. How then, do we hold on to humility and listening to others, and hold on to God in prayer? Jesus didn’t force his power and authority on the disciples; they only had to look into their hearts to see and acknowledge that he was, and is, Lord. And by that understanding, they themselves were empowered, not as warriors and winners, but as bearers of Jesus’s light and truth.
Questions for discussion
- How do you think people in positions of power can hold on to humility?
- Why do you think Jesus told the disciples NOT to go around announcing that he was the Messiah?
- How do you think Peter reacted to Jesus empowering him and trusting him with being the bedrock of the faith after Jesus’ death?
Dr Anne Richards is part of the National Public Policy Team at the Church of England, focusing on modern society, popular culture, contemporary spirituality and apologetics (see Deeper into God and Spiritual Journeys).
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As August moves on, we’ve arrived in a season of exam results and, for many, time to make decisions about what the next steps in our lives look like. After a lot of preparation, revision and waiting, the time has come to look ahead, to consider what and where we’d like to focus our energies, alongside pondering what God might be calling us to.
Milestones like this happen throughout our lives and, whilst some of us might have a really clear sense of purpose for ‘what’s next’, others might feel some uncertainty. Being empowered as we navigate our way, taking these next steps in life, can mean including parents and/or carers as well as other adults and friends around us who are trusted companions in our life and faith journeys.
Involving God in our decision making – praying, reflecting on our gifts and skills and learning from stories we read in the Bible, is a vital way that can help us find a path through. It’s worth remembering we don’t do any of this alone! God is with us every step of the way and that can give us confidence when making big choices.
Questions
- What are the big steps in life that you’re considering right now?
- How can God empower you in making life choices that are right for you at this time?
- Who are the adults and friends you can speak with, who will help and empower you as you look ahead?
Gail Adcock shares her time between being associate vicar with two churches in North Hertfordshire and a consultant for all things family and intergenerational church related.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 16 August 2026
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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Forgiveness and contrition
The complex story of Joseph and his brothers raises important questions about the key place of forgiveness.
Context
- In some ways Genesis 44 and 45 read like a court scene, with Joseph as judge and his brothers as defendants. One of the major debates over the summer in the UK has been about the early release of prisoners. Within this debate there has been renewed discussion about sentencing guidelines and, in particular, what part remorse or contrition should play in determining the form or length of a sentence. According to at least one firm of solicitors in the UK: ‘In matters being investigated by the police or before the criminal courts it is sometimes the case that a simple act of contrition, genuinely felt and communicated, can alter a case outcome significantly’.
- Forgiveness is something intensely deep and personal. A theme that needs handling with great care not least by those leading worship or preaching. The stories of those who have been through the most extreme trauma and somehow found the grace to forgive are both deeply moving and very challenging - they certainly put the petty grievances we can easily cling onto in a very unfavourable light. One such story is that of Immaculée Ilibagiza who survived the Rwandan genocide only to find that her entire family had been brutally murdered, with the exception of one brother who was studying abroad. She also found that nearly one million of her extended family, friends, neighbours and fellow Rwandans had been massacred. Her book Left to Tell and her website tell of how, after the genocide, Immaculée came face-to-face with the man who killed her mother and one of her brothers. After enduring months of physical, mental and spiritual suffering, Immaculée was still able to offer the unthinkable, telling the man, "I forgive you."
- The context of this week’s Old Testament reading is one of famine due to crop failure. Not so long ago if we heard those words on the news we would have probably associated them with countries and continents beyond Europe. Not so now. With a fifth heat wave this week and fields the colours of deserts, crop failure is now a significant issue in the UK and, whilst famine may be some way off, there is certainly much talk of food shortages.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
Forgiveness is at the heart of the story of Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers. This is an important theme to explore – it is at the very heart of our faith, symbolised by the cross and heard in the most gracious words in human history ‘Father forgive them’ (Luke 23:34). There are at least three ways in which you could explore this theme from the Genesis text set for this week:
- By exploring the place of contrition or remorse. At first reading there may be a sense in which Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers was contingent upon them expressing contrition or remorse. But then we have Joseph’s amazing words in Genesis 45:5: ‘And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you’. These words are echoed in the equally remarkable Genesis 50:20: ‘Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today’. So, you may wish to explore the relationship between our contrition and God’s providence and forgiveness.
- In many Christian traditions we pray the Lord’s Prayer every week. At the heart of the prayer we pray ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’. Easy to say but not always so easy to do - especially so within the context of family or Church where sadly grievances can often last a long time. What do the stories of Joseph and/or Immaculée Ilibagiza (see above) say to us in this context about the need for, the possibility of, and the transforming power of forgiveness?
- Often when we think about the need for forgiveness we think about it all in an inter-personal way, mindful of how we have sinned against God or other people. But with wild fires raging, bodies of water drying up and crops failing, do we need to give more attention to how we have sinned against the rest of the created order and sincerely seek forgiveness for that? And not just seek forgiveness but demonstrate our contrition and remorse by changing our selfish attitudes and behaviours that have contributed to the devastating effects of climate change.
Questions for discussion
- What are the relationships between God’s forgiveness and our contrition and forgiveness of others?
- Is our forgiveness of others contingent on their contrition?
- How should our understanding of forgiveness and contrition affect the public debates about the sentencing of those convicted of crimes?
- In what sort of relationships or contexts do we find it most difficult to forgive? Why might that be so?
- In the light of the climate crisis do we need a broader perspective about what we need forgiveness for?
Andrew Roberts is a husband, father, Methodist Minister and the author of Holy Habits. He enjoys watching football and cricket and once appeared on national TV dressed as a giant sunflower (BBC Get Your Own Back).
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Did you watch the eclipse this week? Do you know anyone who travelled abroad in order to get a better view? Some parts of the country saw something truly spectacular; in other places, the results were less impressive. What you saw depended a lot on where you stood.
In this week’s Bible reading, we hear about Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers. Although Joseph tells them that everything has worked out for good because God is in charge, his brothers are still unsure whether to believe him; after all, it takes a lot of grace to forgive your own family for selling you into slavery! From where Joseph was standing, having felt God’s power at work in his life, he could see a way to forgive his brothers. To the brothers, forgiveness seemed like an unlikely outcome.
Sometimes two people in the same situation can have very different reactions to it. Perhaps you’ve seen something like this if you’ve collected exam results recently or moved school.
Whatever the fears of Joseph’s brothers, Joseph responded with love, mercy and grace. He helped his brothers and cried with joy and relief. He understood their fear, but responded with a love that took it away completely. We can’t control how others react under pressure, but how we treat them when we recognise their feelings can make all the difference.
- Where do you see people in stressful or difficult situations today?
- How does your faith shape your perspective on these?
- How does your faith affect your response to things that happen in your life?
Tom Rippon is an Anglican authorised lay minister and Assistant Editor for Roots.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 9 August 2026
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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Holding onto a hero
Heroes like Joseph can give us hope in our darkest times (Genesis 37:1-4,12-28).
Context
- “And there’s more.” This was the catch phrase of comedy legend Jimmy Cricket who died this week. As a contemporary of the likes of Paul Daniels, Frank Carson and Cannon and Ball from the 1980’s comedy circuit, Jimmy had a distinctly gentle style of clean comedy. From his attempt at a formal but clown-like dress code – a battered old black hat, paired with black bow-tie and tails, with trousers cut too short and wellington boots labelled L (left) and R (right), on the wrong feet – to his kind simpleton character, I remember admiring him fondly as a child. My parents even met him on one occasion and said how genuinely lovely he was. What is not so well known about him was his strong Catholic Christian faith, which must have influenced his unique style of clean, inoffensive comedy. He was even given the honour of a papal knighthood by Pope Francis in 2015. Following his death he received many tributes, including from fellow Christian comedians Tim Vine and Milton Jones. Jimmy’s humble comedy character seems to have been much like he was in real life, according to friends and family. He was full of childlike joy, even through his brief illness, right until the end. They said of this comedy hero: “He believed that death is not the end and was looking forward to eternity, so really… And there's more.”
- ‘Brand New Day’ is the latest Spider-Man movie, which broke box office records upon its release last weekend. This latest release form the Marvel Universe picks up the story of Peter Parker (AKA Spider-Man) in a world that doesn’t remember who he is. He has to watch his old life as an outsider, as his friends move on without him. But this time the friendly neighbourhood super hero has to grow up to face many new challenges and transformations in his life, whilst he continues to battle villainous crime.
Reflection and ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
Joseph’s story sees his popularity range from hero (in the eyes of his father, Jacob) to zero (in the eyes of most of his brothers). As a child Joseph was one of my favourite heroes, as I saw him through the colourful images in my Lion Children’s Bible and Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s technicolored musical, which I’ve seen performed more times than I can remember. As a child my aunty made me my own amazing technicolour coat out of an old deck-chair seat and I would act out the story, singing along to the record of the original London cast soundtrack in our living room – me as Joseph and my dad as Pharaoh. I’ve even been in stage versions of the story twice in my lifetime too. Heroes and their stories are important to us as children, but their influence can have a lasting impact that stays with us as we mature and grow.
Spider-Man has always been one of the most popular comic book super heroes, since his inception in the 1960s. There’s a lot for young people to relate to in the working-class kid from Queens, New York. He’s ordinary. Well, at least until he is bitten by a radio-active spider, giving him extraordinary sensory and physical abilities. He didn’t seek greatness. Nevertheless greatness was thrust upon him. And as his Uncle Ben reminded him at the start of his super hero career: “With great power comes great responsibility."
The RCL reading for Proper 14 Year A misses out the verses (Genesis 37:5-11) that tell of Joseph’s early use of his super power – his ability to foretell the future through his dreams. However, the effects are felt by the brothers in the second part of this week’s passage (Genesis 37:12-28). Already grinding their teeth at the very thought of their daddy’s-boy seventeen-year-old kid-brother, his dream-telling pushes them over the edge, leading them to literally push him over the edge and into a pit. Rather than kill him (thanks to their eldest brother, Reuben) they almost follow the model of a stereotypical movie villain, letting fate decide by tying their victim to a train track or strapping them to rocket, finally settling on the deep dark pit option.
In his most recent movie, ‘Brand New Day’, Spider-Man’s character has definitely matured. After being sold into slavery, Joseph has time away from those he knows in order to contemplate his future. We see his character mature as his story skips to chapter 39, time passes and he learns to use his God-given power more responsibly for the benefit of himself and, in time, his people. It is sometimes easy to forget that Joseph’s story takes place over many years and that his rise from zero to hero takes a long time, a lot of waiting and hard work. Holding on to hope, he rises from the darkness of slavery and, despite setbacks along the way, he is eventually given great responsibility. Holding on to hope he is eventually restored to a new position in a more mature relationship with his family. His abridged story is also told in Psalm 105:1-6,16-22.
Heroes, or people who are legends in their own lifetime, can give us hope that there is always more to life. As Jesus tried to show Peter and disciples (Matthew 14:22-33), faith in God leads to hope for more in this life and into eternity. As Jimmy would have said: “And there’s (always) more.”
Questions for discussion
- Who are the heroes or legends whose stories have influenced our lives? What was their impact on our lives?
- Jimmy Cricket was a comedian whose humble and gentle character brought joy to the lives of many. Who might we say are the quiet legends in our own lives, people who have had a kind, cleansing influence upon our souls?
- Joseph’s story has many dark turns and pitfalls (literally). Can we reflect on the darker moments of our own lives and identify where we were holding on to hope and see where God used those times to restore us to the light?
Tim Lowe is a minister of the United Reformed Church, serving in the Leeds URC Partnership, but secretly wants to be a superhero with a technicolour cape when he grows up.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
This week saw the release of the Scottish Highers results. A levels and GCSE results will come out over the next 2 weeks in the rest of the UK. This is a time of upheaval for our young people - for some it will be exciting whilst for others it may feel disappointing and difficult. All of them will be experiencing uncertainty about what the future may hold.
Reading the story of Joseph being sold into slavery, he must have been very scared - this did not feature in his dreams! I wonder how difficult it was for him to recall God’s promises to him and to hold on to his hopes for the future?
It has been said that fear is not a worthy enemy - it is hopelessness we need to be wary of. Fear can be overcome if we have hope. Some of our young people will have their hopes dashed by their exam results and for those with everything to look forward to, the future may look daunting.
How do you hold onto hope in your life when times are difficult?
How do we help our young people to hear God’s promises to them?
This cohort of students are still being impacted by the COVID 19 school closures, they might feel that life is unfair. How do we encourage them to trust God and hold onto their hope?
Victoria Etherington is University and Young Adult Chaplain in the York Methodist Circuit.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 2 August 2026
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Limping but surviving
Jacob’s encounter with God brings brokenness but also a new beginning (Genesis 32:30).
Context
In the nightmare of wildfires in France and Spain, can we receive the message from the darkness that is requiring us to change?
Sometimes we wrestle with challenges that come from events that are totally beyond our control and remind us of the limits of our own power. Fighting the wildfires in France has been termed a ‘David and Goliath struggle’.
Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey has reignited interest in Homer’s epic poem about the trials and testing faced by Odysseus on his journey home.
Reflection and ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
“Tell me about a complicated man.” No, not the story of Jacob, but the opening of Emily Watson’s translation of the story of Odysseus. Christopher Nolan’s film ‘The Odyssey’ is breaking box office records in the cinema right now and sales of translations of Homer’s epic poem have risen by around 70%. For all the criticism from Classicists and purists regarding emotional depth, the Homeric values, the place of women and the quality of the language, there is something that is still compelling about the flawed hero’s journey, the hardships he endures along the way, and the self knowledge and suffering that the journey necessitates. Stephen Fry has argued that Odysseus in all his complexity, is a relatable hero for our times. And let’s not forget Penelope’s journey towards resilience and wisdom as she navigates through the challenges of her ten year wait for Odysseus to return.
The wounded hero is an archetype in literature and mythology, revealing lessons about the cost of gaining wisdom, about vulnerability that can lead to new strength and about the need to remain grounded, knowing the limits of our own power. Jacob wrestles in the dark with a shadow and is left with a wound. Having spent his life using trickery and deceit and often running away, his dislocated hip means that he can no longer run. After his encounter with God in the dark, he limps into the dawn of a new day, wounded but at the beginning of a new journey into reconciliation. His trauma is not erased but becomes a source of self knowledge that enables the new chapter of his story to unfold. He is given a new name, Israel, meaning ‘one who struggles with God’ and this new name represents his transformation and his new understanding of God.
Sometimes life brings us up short. We find ourselves facing hardships, trauma, fear or pain that seems to overwhelm us and for which we do not have the resources. Such times bring us face to face with ourselves and our own inadequacy and our need for God. It seems that such pain will limit our ability to be useful in serving God and others. And yet…the bible is full of stories that happen on the other side of failure. Stories where an encounter with God in the midst of the pain leaves us, yes, limping, but also facing into a new day with hope.
Like Jacob, when we stop running, we are all at some point going to face God in the darkness. Indeed some Christian traditions talk about the ‘dark night of the soul’ that nevertheless can lead to a new beginning or deeper knowledge of self and of our calling.
The poet Mary Oliver writes:
Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
(The Uses of Sorrow from Thirst Beacon Press 2007)
Sometimes integrating painful experiences is big work and it takes time, other people who can accompany us because they have been there before us (wise guides or Spiritual Companions) and patient work with God who is the ultimate restorer of hope, the God whom we find in bread that is broken to make us whole.
Questions for discussion
- Do we put our leaders on a pedestal in ways that are not helpful for them or for ourselves?
- Limping but surviving: how do all of us in ministry or leadership find ways to help others to grow through testing times and to find the face of God in the dark?
- How can we process and integrate our wounds as we go forward so that we can find God’s grace through them?
- What kind of role models do we need to inspire us in our Christian journey and to accompany us as we wrestle with God in life’s darkness?
Diane Craven is a freelance education and spirituality consultant and is currently based in the Diocese of York.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
There has been a lot of sport going on in the world recently. This week we’ve seen the Commonwealth Games kicking off, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have got back into the ring, and of course there was that little event that’s just finished over in America, Canada, and Mexico!
Because of this you may have missed a record being broken by Josh Kerr. Josh is a British athlete who set a new world record for a 1 mile run at the London Diamond League last weekend - a record that has been held since 1999. Josh completed the mile in three minutes and forty-three seconds!
Talking afterwards Josh said “I nearly lost it there at the end, but I got over the line…Those performances take every part of you, every part of your team. Out there, I am just the body, but there is an incredible amount of work behind the scenes.”
And that is what we get from today’s verse. Jacob had everything taken out of him - the struggle was real but he got it over the line. And all of that wrestling is the behind-the-scenes work that leads to miraculous outcomes.
Your challenge question for today:
Can you make God part of your team to help you get over the line when it comes to struggles in your life?
Lindsay Wright is a freelance writer and designer from Lancashire - www.startswithabrew.co.uk
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 26 July 2026
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Tumult and transformation
God’s love works for good, despite our chaos (Genesis 29:15-28; Romans 8:26-39).
Context
- Six prime ministers in just ten years! The past decade has seen the UK go through a period of unusually high political turnover. Andy Burnham, who took office on Monday 20 July, was preceded by Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, and Theresa May, none of whom made it past three years in post. If David Cameron had hung on for just one more week, we’d have made it to seven PMs in a decade; but as his premiership finished on 13 July 2016, he’s just outside the limit. The press and pundits have noticed. And, as NBC News has illustrated, delightfully, Larry the cat is now the most stable force in Downing Street. We live in tumultuous, messy times.
- Burnham’s route to the top job in UK politics has been a winding one. He has two unsuccessful party leadership bids under his belt, in 2010 and 2015. But he persisted. A detour to become the first mayor of Greater Manchester could have kept him further off course but instead allowed him to build the momentum that’s brought him to power. Life doesn’t always follow a simple, straight line.
- Away from politics, and perhaps a welcome respite, The Great British Sewing Bee is back for its 12th series. My favourite part of the show is the Transformation Challenge. The contestants are given unloved second-hand garments and materials and race against the clock to transform them into something new. So far this series, a mish-mash of brown and purple clothing became skirts, tops and dresses (some more wearable than others!), and discarded aprons were turned into functional bags. What seems like trash sometimes becomes treasure.
Reflection and ideas for sermons or interactive talks
From chaos and division to peace and reconciliation
Jacob, as we know from our vantage point centuries later, had a part to play in God’s redemptive plan. But, at this point in his story, the route forwards isn’t clear. Having collaborated with his mother in tricking his father and brother, he’s run away from the ensuing mess. Now he becomes the victim of Laban’s trick. It’s not a pretty story, especially for the two sisters, Leah and Rachel, now pitted against each other in competition for their husband’s attention (Genesis 29:15-28). But eventually, if we read on beyond today’s passage, we learn that from the root of this chaotic family tree is born the Prince of Peace. Unloved Leah bears a fourth son, Judah, for whom she praises the Lord (Genesis 29:35). And Judah becomes ancestor to David, and David to Jesus, the saviour who brings reconciliation to us all.
The transformation challenge
Faced with life’s mess, from the trivial, like a pile of damaged, out-of-fashion, or ill-fitting clothing, to the truly painful, like a dysfunctional family dynamic, a betrayal, or the derailment of a dream, we might be tempted to give up - throw out the clothes or throw up our hands in despair. But God suggests there is another way, through the tumult towards transformation. In Romans 8:26-27, Paul writes that the Spirit will help us call out to God, even when we are too troubled to know how. The Spirit “intercedes with sighs too deep for words”. And God will answer. “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Jacob, the tricked trickster, becomes father to a nation. Leah, the unloved wife, becomes mother to the line of Jesus. In God’s hands the unlikely material of our lives is transformed into something glorious (Romans 8:30), the loving family of the kingdom of God.
Questions for discussion
- Have you ever worked a transformation on something? Perhaps you’ve picked up a piece of furniture discarded on the pavement and painted it to make it fit for your home; patched or adjusted a shirt or dress from the back of your wardrobe to make it wearable again; or dug and planted a neglected patch of ground to grow vegetables or flowers. What prompted you to begin and how did you find the process and the result? As you reflect or discuss, pause also to think about how God’s love transforms us.
- Many families are troubled by division, jealousy, or difficult dynamics. Is yours? In private, or with chosen trusted friends, can you bring these situations to God? Even if you do not have the words, bring your sighs: the Spirit will intercede for you and God will hear. Even though the road through this world may remain a rocky one, God will be with you. Claim the promise of Romans 8:38-39: “the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Rebecca Froley was the launch editor for the Roots website 20+ years ago and now works in web management in the culture and heritage sector. She worships at a Baptist church in the London Borough of Sutton where she helps with the young people’s groups, and a small Christian development charity.
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Navigating the mess
Did you watch any of the World Cup? (The men’s football version, that is). For the majority of the tournament, it seemed as if France were the team to beat. They were playing the best football; beating teams with ease.
It was theirs to lose.
And then they went and lost to Spain in the semi-final, before they lost to England in the Bronze Medal match. Suddenly, having made playing football seem so easy, they went and made it all Messi. Sorry...messy...
I don’t know about you, but far too often in life I look at other people’s lives and think that they’ve got it all sorted. A bit like France before they lost to Spain, it can sometimes appear that everyone else knows what they’re doing at work, school or college – until, at some point, things go wrong. They might have amazing photos or videos on Facebook / Instagram / TikTok. If they’re in work, they’re making amazing career choices on LinkedIn, whilst for us parents, everyone else’s kids are in bed by 8pm...
And yet I look at my own life, and I know it’s a mess. The messiness – and the joys and excitement – of adopting our youngest; the messiness of sickness and ill-health; the stretch of new jobs in areas we’ve not had much experience in before; the mess that that has had on my & our mental health.
And yet...and yet. It’s at moments like this that I’m glad stories like today’s passage involving Laban, Jacob, Rachel and Leah are included in the Bible. I’m glad that Scripture doesn’t shy away from the messiness of human life. Because it shows us that God works in and through the messy situations that we find ourselves in; and he works in and through messy people. Messy people like your friends and your siblings; your church leaders and your teachers; your parents and, dare I say...messy people like me and you?
Jonathan Buckley is the Redevelopment Manager at St Paul’s Wordsworth Avenue in Sheffield and the Youth Development Worker at YMCA White Rose in Rotherham.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 19 July 2026
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
I dreamed a dream…
God has something better than our dreams… (Genesis 28:10-19)
Context and ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
Another tournament, another dream dashed! (That is unless you’re Spanish or Argentinian.) For England it’s another dose of scotched hope, potential unrealised and those attempts to comfort ourselves by saying the Euros are just two years down the line! It’s been a ride, but the reality of a loss in the semis is a tough one to process.
Having a dream is often promoted as an essential part of life. We are told to keep our dreams alive by Oscar winners or invited to pursue our dreams by motivational speakers. The players who get to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy in New York might talk about their dreams coming true; or say: If you want something badly enough you can get there; or they might tell us to never give up on our dreams. But it’s often not a simple as the inspirational reels on Instagram tell us. In actual fact, like England’s quest for the 2026 World Cup, dreams are often unrealised, sometimes they’re unrealistic and often they are unobtainable due to lots of circumstances well beyond our control. Sometimes our own actions impact our hopes and dreams – we make mistakes, take the wrong path, do silly things that put us in the wrong place at the wrong time.
At times you have to give up a dream and work out how to move on in life. You have to face the reality that you need to change the path – a difficult ask for many of us.
Jacob’s story in Genesis feels like a very human tale of trying to achieve a dream. It also feels like a very human story of making mistakes that derail things, stumbling around circumstances beyond our control and facing the possibility of having to change paths. So, it’s interesting that at this point of chaos and uncertainty God gives him an actual dream. And it’s quite a dream. But the striking fact is that God is not asking Jacob to strive to realise his dreams, or to hold on to his hopes and work hard to meet them. God is saying that he will be with him. That God holds the plan for his life and that God will be with him to bring it to fruition. It’s God’s ‘dream’, not Jacob's.
What a relief. We are not alone in succeeding or failing or in making dreams come true or dashing them. We are in God’s hands; the future is His; He is with us whatever that looks like.
A message maybe for 11 sad footballers.
Fiona is a freelance leadership consultant and mediator.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
With the summer holidays beginning, or perhaps you are even in the midst of them already, how are you planning on staying connected with your friends? Do you have regular clubs which you can still meet up at, do you rely on your parents and carers to arrange times, or can you keep connected online and on your phone?
Our society has never been more connected, yet “there are 20.9% (or about 1 in 5) of adolescents aged 13 to 17 experience significant feelings of loneliness or isolation. Other surveys specific to the UK show that up to 58% of young people report feeling isolated from others "often" or "some of the time".
And with the recent news this week that there could be a curfew coming into play for 16- and 17-year-olds on their social media, alongside the news earlier this year of a social media ban for under 16s, how then can we stay connected? And why are there so many rules on how we should be talking with our own friends? Who can we turn to, vent to, run to when we feel worried, sad and also just really happy? Do these recent bans mean we are more isolated or not?
Our passage this week looks to Jacob. He has tricked his brother into giving him his birthright. Without going into the theology of how and why this happened, Jacob was then scared of his brother, and ran away. He isolated himself from the rest of his family. Yet, in that time of isolation without friends and family around, The Lord reached out from heaven to be with him! What?! Can you actually imagine being in your room, feeling lonely during the summer and God sends a ladder down to reach you!
This was a mad time for Jacob too, but what is even more mind blowing is now we don’t even need a ladder to reach God. We now have Jesus - God, Heaven and the Earth's go-between. He is the bridge and he is the one who keeps us connected. Even when we don’t know he is listening, he is telling God all the things which bother us. But not in an intrusive way like our phones do, listening in all of the time! But in a loving and protective, perfect way.
The truth is, when we walk with the Lord, we are never actually alone. Reaching out for help from the Lord has no age restrictions, no location bans and no curfews. This summer try staying connected to Jesus in the times when you feel alone and the good times too. And why not introduce your friends to him and encourage them to give him a follow!
Natasia Bullock is director of Christian theatre company The B Tales.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 12 July 2026
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Did you ask God?
Do we check with the Author of our story before we start the next chapter? (Genesis 25:19-34)
Context
BBCInDepth has this month delved into this incredulity-inspiring phenomenon: Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are preparing for life without a state pension. Financial experts are warning that this major shift in how young people prepare for their futures could prompt riskier investments, overly restrictive behaviour or even lead some to forgo saving altogether.
Reflection and ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
Recently, my pastor and I had a discussion about something that was “a good idea, but not a God idea”.
Sometimes in life, when we judge with the eyes of our human understanding, it may seem sensible to head in a particular direction. But our field of vision is limited. God’s view into our future is infinite.
Investing money into cryptocurrency rather than a state pension you are not sure will exist by the time you retire might seem a wise, strategic move in the moment but, in 50 years, may be a choice that elicits regret. Exchanging his birthright for a bowl of stew seemed proportionate to Esau at the time! Yet it was a choice with indelible consequences.
The Bible tells us that if any of us lack wisdom, we can ask God directly, and He will supply the answer ‘generously and ungrudgingly’ (James 1:5). What a promise this is! Yet, how often do we dial up this 24-7 direct phone line to the Head of Heaven for advice on how to chart our course here on Earth?
It is clear that Esau did not solicit God’s opinion before giving away his greatest blessing.
What about his parents? We know that Isaac was guided by God in his choice of marital partner (Genesis 24). This week we see that he also drew God into their family planning.
We learn from our main passage that twenty years passed between the commencement of Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage and the birth of their twin sons. The pain of infertility becomes so great that Isaac pleads with God (v. 21) to grant him and Rebekah the children they earnestly desire.
We do not know whether God elucidates to Isaac why Rebekah has been unable to conceive up until that point, but we do know that after Isaac’s entreaty, she becomes pregnant.
I wonder: How long did it take before Isaac enquired of the Lord – as his wife does in order to uncover the cause of her complicated pregnancy (v. 22)? Might Jacob and Esau have been born earlier had he made use of his direct line to God sooner?
Questions for discussion
- Do you find it easy or difficult to consult God when it comes to making major life choices?
- Twenty years is a long time to wait for something you desire. When a promise seems slow in coming, should we perhaps be more eager to emulate Rebekah, in asking: If all is well, why […]? Could it be that we need God to grant us the eyes and ears to perceive what may be blocking us from receiving our blessing?
Ruth Akinradewo is a freelance writer passionate about “helping people to feel seen” and sharing with as many as possible the truth that they are loved and valued by God.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Today’s story raises so many issues and questions: Infertility and the God who answers prayer; sibling rivalry; parental favouritism; not to mention the story of two tribes of people torn apart in one moment in history. There is another element to this story which is helpful for us and the children and young people we engage with to consider: the question of instant vs. delayed gratification. In this story, a hangry Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of soup - a decision that will change his life, that of his family AND marks a significant moment in history with long term implications.
As we approach the end of term and the beginning of summer, our children and young people may not be giving away birthrights but decisions will be made about how they use their time, resources and opportunities. Resting and recharging is important but how do we make decisions that shape the way we spend the rest of our time off? Will our motivation be for the quick hit of dopamine or are we making choices mindful of the longer-term value?
Becky May is Tutor in Children’s and Families Ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and Children, Youth and Families Mission Lead for Rural Missions.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 5 July 2026
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.
Are you ready?
God calls us in surprising and challenging ways. Are we ready to respond with a yes to the future God is asking us to share in building? (Genesis 24:58)
Context
At the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Andy Burnham began to outline his hopes for the future: Imagine…imagine…imagine a future filled with hope.
Hope is powerful as inspiration to participate in the new and some people would argue is key to making change happen. Can we find it in politics again?
Some voices are urging investment in future generations - in itself an act of faith.
Building the future requires us to think big and act small: sweating the small stuff and accepting we may not know the outcome but knowing that our part in it can make a difference. Anyone who plants, farms or gardens knows the lived experience of having faith in a future that cannot yet be seen.
Reflection
Shortly after the end of Andy Burnham’s vision statement, members of opposition parties were quick to say ‘it won’t work’ or ‘we have tried it already’. How often are we guilty of a failure of collective imagination in our church communities that limits God’s possibilities?
Rebekah had a day’s notice to leave home to go and marry Isaac. She saw immediately that God was active in the situation. What could have prepared her to say yes in that moment and to believe the future to which she was being called by God?
The Genesis passage tells us a very human story in which God’s promises work through human lives and very human choices. We often overlook Rebekah and yet the future of a whole people rests on her and her actions. God’s new future depends on us. Are we ready to embrace it? What might we need to let go of and what do we need in order to be ready?
We might think that the task is onerous or too big for us or that our resources are too small. That is a story that is told all too frequently in scripture. But today Rebekah shows us a free and generous response and an in-the-moment recognition that God is present and active in the circumstances of the everyday and reliant on her ‘yes’.
Jesus knows how afraid we may be of the challenges ahead and tells us ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ It is not about exhausting ourselves with a legalistic approach to living but the freedom of responding from the heart, knowing we are called in love and supported by love. Jesus shares the burden of the task with us - present with us in the small and big stuff of building God’s future.
Questions
- What spiritual practices might help us to discern the part we are each called to play in building God’s future?
- What spiritual practices might help us to ensure that we can serve others from the centre of our being and vocation remains a joy and not a burden?
- Rebekah receives a blessing from her father and her mother (Genesis 24:60). It turns out to be prophetic. Are we taking time to discern vocation in others, calling and commissioning each other in new adventures of faith and encouraging each other along the way?
- Imagining a future filled with hope should be in our church DNA. If we reframed our discussions around ‘what if’ rather than ‘yes but’ and planned with faith that people will come up with the goods when needed, how might this transform our leadership meetings?
- Are we practising steps of faith in small things so that we can be ready for the bigger things God may ask of us?
For a reminder of spiritual practices see this leaflet from a Moravian Church in the US.
Diane Craven is currently a trainer and education and spirituality consultant based in the Diocese of York.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Whoever becomes the next Prime Minister will be our seventh in the last ten years.
Frequent changes in leadership do not offer the markets stability or send a positive message to our overseas partners and investors. Whatever gifts the next Prime Minister brings into the role, or the flaws of previous incumbents, I am left asking how these frequent changes benefit people, especially those struggling in our current economic climate.
I wonder, did any of the people involved with these changes invite God into the process. Or were these decisions based on their own desires? How often do we take decisions based on what we want to do, rather than following God’s way?
In the story today, the sign from God reflects the servant’s search for a kind and generous wife for Isaac. In our own lives how might we know that a sign is from God?
For discussion with the group
- Share a personal experience of praying about a decision in your life. How did you know the sign was from God? Invite the group to share their experiences.
- How would you know a sign is not from God?
- Compare this with Gideon and the fleece, Judges 6:25-40. Gideon asks God for a sign on his own terms. Have the group done this? Does this change the outcome? How?
- Why is it good to ask God for help in our choices?
Victoria Etherington is University and Young Adult Chaplain in the York Methodist Circuit.
Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.
The week in focus is also available via facebook and Instagram.
Roots publishes weekly lectionary-based worship and learning resources online and in two magazines. FIND OUT MORE.