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Fear and joy
Moses experienced awe on Mount Sinai. Those who encounter the living God on Mount Zion have an awesome experience (Hebrews 12 18-29).
Context
A meeting of European and Commonwealth allies, the coalition of the willing, was held on Tuesday to update leaders and to discuss next steps concerning the war in Ukraine.
This week Sky News announced that 6000 words such as lewk, delulu and skibidi have been added to the Cambridge Dictionary this year. These are words which have grown in use across social and mainstream media and beyond. Some are linked to celebrities and influencers and others are linked to working from home, such as "mouse jiggler" - a device or app that simulates mouse movement and stops your computer going into sleep mode.
Reflections and ideas for sermons and interactive talks
Experiencing God is awesome. We can be filled with awe experiencing the fear of the Lord but also it is awesome in the sense that it is a wonderful experience. It transforms us and, by giving us a new lewk, provides the inspo for our discipleship. It certainly is not delulu.
The continuing negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine provoke a range of emotions and feelings. There are those who are optimistic and those who are pessimistic. There are those who are supportive of President Zelensky and those who back President Putin. Some are directly involved; others are interested observers.
Moses experienced fear as a result of the terrifying sight (v.21). By contrast we are invited to experience Mount Zion which is a more emotional spiritual experience rather than a physical experience. Reflecting on what it is like to consider the war in Ukraine and the negotiations may help us better accept and understand what it is like to encounter God through Christ Jesus.
Spiritual experiences are a part of life but they are not always spoken of. Part of the reason for this is that such experiences can be beyond words. One of the new words in the Cambridge Dictionary is 'skibidi'. It can have a number of different meanings, including good, bad, cool or even weird. It can even have no meaning and can just be a gibberish sound. Maybe skibidi is a good way to describe the blend of emotions that an encounter with God provokes or maybe it can prompt us to seek words of our own.
Questions for discussion
- Is there something that you can describe but for which there is no word?
- Can you invent a word to use in this situation?
- What do you believe would be a satisfactory outcome to the peace negotiations concerning Ukraine? How can you play a part in bringing peace?
- How do you describe encounters you may have had with God? How did you feel before, during and after?
The Revd Stuart Wild is Superintendent Minister of the Blackpool and South Fylde Methodist Circuit,
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Many young people have recently received GCSE and A-Level results. Opening an envelope with bare numbers and letters that clumsily but clearly grade your academic ability is not an experience many of us will want to repeat - we feel judged (and often it doesn’t feel very fair!).
It doesn’t stop with school exams of course. Young people feel judged in all sorts of other ways and it’s not always the adult world doing the judging; perhaps the most pressure and judgement comes from their peers. Research suggests that. in today’s world, the key factor in identity formation for adolescents is reaction by their peers to their physical appearance. Judgement sucks.
Today’s passage is a reminder of the terror of judgement for all of us, but this is not the callous judgement of our peers. It’s the righteous judgement of God. The problem has always been how unholy people approach a holy God. Under the old covenant it was complicated (so many dead animals!) and dangerous (so many dead humans!) and that helps us appreciate even more the beauty of the new covenant. Our passage today says that we can come to God who is indeed the judge of all but, as we do, we also come with our mediator Jesus, whose blood speaks words of grace to us.
As young people process their exam results or prepare to move to secondary school or face any new situation where they might feel exposed and judged, let’s point them to Jesus. Jesus is the one to whom we are all laid bare and exposed and yet, if we come to him humbly and repentantly, there is grace, welcome and acceptance, whatever our grades.
Dr Gareth Crispin is Tutor for Youth and Children's Ministry at Emmanuel Theological College.
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 17 August 2025
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None of us are out here on our own
Despite troubles and persecution, in faith we are not alone.
(Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Psalm 82)
Context
Reflection and ideas for sermons or interactive talks
You know together we’re glowing
- “We’re goin’ up, up, up / It’s our moment / You know together we’re glowing / Gonna be, gonna be golden,” sing HUNTR/X, the girl band with a sideline in demon hunting, in their hit song ‘Golden’. And it is their moment – the PG-rated film’s catchy tunes, fast-paced action, colourful styling and contemporary humour have won it huge attention. Some might find aspects of the film problematic. There are some scary scenes and others that illustrate the seductive appeal of giving in to darkness – and it isn’t an entirely binary tale of good versus evil. But it's worth looking beyond the film’s name and bearing in mind that the demons inspired by Korean cultural heritage and depicted here are not the same as those in Christian theology. Ultimately, this is a story with much to recommend in its message of finding strength through openness and solidarity with others, so that “none of us are out here on our own” (‘What It Sounds Like’ by HUNTR/X). It offers just a glimmer of the encouragement we can find in knowing that “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) – that our brothers and sisters in faith have gone before us and stand beside us in our troubles.
- In today’s passage from Hebrews we first read of a succession of triumphs of faith (Hebrews 11:29-35), from the escape through the Red Sea to shutting the mouths of lions. Popstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey start out strong too, with slick, synchronised dance steps and high-hitting harmonies, seemingly in tune with their mission to protect the world. But when a dark and mysterious demon boy-band arrives on the scene, challenging the girls to musical and supernatural combat, they begin to give in to doubts, divisions, secrets and insecurities, which threaten to tear them apart. Eventually they find their way through, persevering and learning to be open and true, accepting themselves and each other, and finding strength in their connection. As they embrace and sing “I’ll be right here by your side” they gain faith once more in their purpose and in each other, and, obviously, together they triumph over the demon realm. For us, too, there are troubles and challenges along the way – just look at the suffering of the faithful who have not yet been rewarded, described in Hebrews 11:35-40. But we are not alone and victory will come, through “Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). We have not only our fellow Christians, but also our Lord, by our side.
None of us are out here on our own
- If we want to claim our place surrounded by that great cloud of witnesses, we need to bear witness ourselves to the difficulties facing our Christian family and to God’s power and love that will one day triumph. Many Christians today don’t need to imagine what it is like to be “stoned… killed by the sword… destitute, persecuted, tormented…” (Hebrews 11:37), as it is happening to them or their loved ones right now. There are ways to pray with and for them in the Roots magazine material and in other resources available online from organisations like Open Doors, Release International, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. And we can pray to God with the psalmist:
“Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)
- And if we are daunted by the challenge ahead? Then we can remember that we are not expected to do things perfectly, we can lay aside that weight. That is Jesus’ place. Instead, we are called to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Questions for discussion
- Have you heard of drafting in running and cycling? Or slipstreaming in motor racing? It’s a technique where you align yourself behind others in the race in order to ease your progress. How can ‘drafting’ behind the men and women of faith we read about in the Bible, history, or today’s news and culture – or that we meet in our own daily lives – help us in our own race with Christ?
- It’s impossible to sing a harmony alone (at least without some technological help!) and the k-pop dance style is best characterised by the group routine. What other things are better together, or impossible alone? What about being a Christian? Is that easier with the help of others?
Rebecca Froley was the launch editor for the Roots website and worked in digital publishing for 20+ years. She is currently volunteering for two charities while job seeking following redundancy. She worships at a Baptist church in the London Borough of Sutton where she helps with the young people and mission group.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
The passage for today reminds us that we come from a long line of individuals who have endured suffering because of what their faith means to them. These are people for whom being called by God challenged them to act in ways that exposed them to the risk of suffering.
Although the passage names only those from the Old Testament (obviously!) we could add more recent heroes to the list. Examples might include William Wilberforce, Sojourner Truth, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The young people may have others they wish to add, not just famous people, but teachers, carers, youth workers and members of the church who they admire for the ways in which they live out their faith.
Conversely, there may be people both in the public eye and closer to home that the young people do not admire. You will need to be careful here - encourage the group to focus on characteristics and behaviours rather than names.
Give the group paper and pens. Encourage them to draw or write their cloud of witnesses around themselves. Who do they want to have cheering them over the finishing line?
Questions for discussion
- Who have they chosen and why?
- Do these heroes of faith have to be Christian?
- What does it mean to admire someone of another faith for their convictions?
e.g. Mahatma Ghandi
- What makes these people different?
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 10 August 2025
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No going back
Faith moves in one direction only: forward (Hebrews 11:15).
Context
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
The main problem with dwelling on the past is that there’s no future in it! In general, we humans spend far too much time thinking about the past: decisions we made, bad relationships, people who wronged us, etc. As Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, such worries will not add any span of time to our future lives (Matthew 6:27). In fact, they detract us from living in the now and into our future.
Read Hebrews 11:13-16a. For Christianity’s detractors, this is merely 'pie in the sky by and by'. This might be true if we were only created for a simple biological existence. However, our Judaeo-Christian faith makes clear that we are not mere biological organisms functioning in an environment. Rather, we have been made in the image of our Creator who is Life itself and relationship itself: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Like our Creator, we are part of a Life that is larger than ourselves and which has no beginning and no end. Our faith is as large as the cosmos.
The deeper we go into Christian spirituality the more we learn that life is not about us, but that we are about life - each of us is an individual expression of life, an expression that only we can live. As a friend of mine was wont to say: 'We are in the process of becoming forever what we are freely choosing and loving most right now'. Each moment and day we live is one not to be repeated and adds up to the sum total of this life we have been given. Like light travelling ever forward through the universe, we cannot bring back time or our words and actions.
Questions for discussion
Jesus came that we might have life in all its fullness (John 10:10). What does that mean for you and me as individuals? What does that fullness say about how you are conducting your life as an individual? How might you change aspects of your life which detract from its fullness?
We are called by an invisible God to live by faith as we move into an unseen future. How might both be made visible? What about love in action?
The Revd Dr Jack Lawson is a freelance writer and novelist: Doing Time, No Good Deed, Criminal Justice, The Woods and Dirty Business. His newest novel, Joab, (Wipf & Stock) is based on the life of King David.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
'Life gave me some lemons
But my Jesus, He be makin' lemonade...'
These are some of the lyrics to Forrest Frank’s latest summer worship hit, Lemonade (which was only released on 1 August!).
Forrest is increasingly becoming one of the fastest-growing Christian artists for his uplifting worship beats, with TikTok dance crazes and a growing fan base. His music is great to listen to and think about how life can ‘be better’ with faith in Jesus.
The real test of that faith literally hit Forrest in the past few weeks, however, when he fractured two vertebrae skateboarding...
Instead of being down, blaming God for his circumstances, and being bitter about how he will need to postpone his world tour at what seemed like the height of his career so far, Forrest kept going in faith. He continued to praise the Lord, he continued to seek refuge in him and he even continued to use his situation and make more worship music from his bedside: the new hit Lemonade!
Just like the Bible figures throughout the opening of Hebrews chapter 11 - and especially with our focus on Abraham in this week’s passages - Forrest Frank was able to not just see the situation where he had been taken from, not just focus on the sorrow which he was feeling in the present, but he was able, through God’s grace and his faith in Jesus, to look forward to the future and how he can continue and keep going.
The faith of Abraham leads to great things! God blesses him and makes him the father of all nations, both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 4); something which he would never have been able to comprehend. We don’t know the full extent of how God has used, and will use, Forrest Frank’s music and this ongoing story to bring people to faith - and neither does Forrest! But he will (we hope!) keep on going through life’s trials in faith. We do know that the first outpouring of Forrest’s faith has turned into what can only be called a miraculous recovery. Forrest reports that, within two weeks of his accident, scans show no sign of the fractures.
Almost as miraculous as a 90 year old Sarah giving birth!
So what does this mean for us? Keep on going in the faith, and whenever you feel as if life has handed you lemons… remember that Jesus will always use them to make lemonade!
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 3 August 2025
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The right mindset
In Colossians 3:2 Paul stresses the importance of having the right mindset as a disciple of Christ.
Context
- When Chloe Kelly stepped up to take her penalty in the final of Euro 2025, she had one thing in mind, scoring what would be the winning goal. Just a few days previously her penalty had been saved in the semi-final. She refused to let the memory of that inhibit her and embraced the vision of victory. In Colossians 3 Paul exhorts his readers to leave behind (or put to death) all that has been wrong in the past and embrace all that has been gifted to them by the victory of Christ.
- On July 25th (2025) the BBC screened the superb biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The film tells the story of one of the greatest vocal talents the world has seen. It celebrates her meteoric rise but also tells with sensitivity the story of her tragic demise despite the loving care of those who urged her to ‘get rid of all such things’ (Colossians 3:8). Part of the tragedy of her story is a modern outworking of this week’s gospel parable as Whitney and some of those who exploited her wanted ever more of the things that ended up destroying her.
- Paul’s exhortation to ‘Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth’ (Colossians 3:2) was famously criticised by Karl Marx as an example of how religion in his view was the ‘opiate of the people’. The theologian Alister McGrath rejects that, saying ’I think [Marx] failed to grasp the all-important point that the Christian vision of heaven gives us both a template and a motivation to change this world. If heaven is a place where there is not more suffering, why should we not try to make earth more like heaven?’ (Alister McGrath, The Landscape of Faith, SPCK, p230).
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
- In his book The Landscape of Faith Alister McGrath explores what he calls the ‘discipleship of the mind’. In Colossians 3:2 Paul stresses the importance of having the right mindset as a disciple of Christ, urging his readers (us) to set our minds on things that ‘are above’, and particularly to reject (put to death) things that damage human flourishing and godly living and to embrace a new humanity remade in the image of God. You might like to explore the important part our minds have to play in our discipleship and the difference a focus on things that ‘are above’ can bring.
- Both this week’s gospel and this week’s epistle contain clear warnings from Jesus and Paul about the dangers of self-centred and, in particular, greedy lives. The things that we crave ever more of can end up destroying us. One does not have to be a celebrity like Whitney Houston for this to be true. Celebrity culture and an enormous and powerful adverting industry can exert huge pressure and temptations. How can we be wise to these forces and how can we help one another to resist the power of destructive temptations?
- There is a risk that thinking about setting our minds on things that are above can become quite selfish, reducing faith to only being about me and my salvation (important as that is!). Tales have also often been told of those who have been so heavenly minded to be of no earthly use. How do we strike a healthy balance between rejoicing in our personal salvation, looking forward to the full joys of heaven and living out the petition in the Lord’s Prayer for the Kingdom to come on earth as well as in heaven?
Questions for discussion
- You might not have scored the winning penalty in a cup final but when have you overcome the memory of a previous failure or disappointment? How might this have been an outworking of the victory of Christ?
- By setting our minds on things that are above, do we risk becoming quite selfish – reducing faith to only being about 'me and my salvation'? Is this a risk that you recognise, perhaps in some presentations of doctrinal teaching? Is it something we need to repent of – or, in other words, have a change of mindset about?
- Should we try to make earth more like heaven? What might this look like in our local community? What could it look like in Gaza? What we can we do to make earth more like heaven?
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.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Football has come home at last and it has been brought home in the teeth of the great Lionesses. What a tournament! What drama! They lost their first group game to France. They came from behind in the quarter and semi finals. Then in the final itself, versus the world champions Spain, after trailing 1-0 at half-time they came back again to win on penalties. The tension and the passion was visceral throughout. The celebrations were explosive and intense and the commentary was effusive: 'overcoming adversity, creating their own destiny, more history and a true legacy,' the Lionesses had done it.
Interestingly though, if we look beneath the surface, we find something striking: not all Lionesses celebrate victory in the same way. Whilst they all cheered, hugged and got covered in a serious amount of glitter, the teenage striker Michelle Agyemang stood out. As a Christian she celebrates in a distinctly different way. Yes she jumps around the trophy whooping with the rest and the best of them but as she does so she also points and looks upwards, sometimes even kneeling. She narrates what she is thinking in her Instagram posts by using Bible verses such as Philippians 4:13 - ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ As people give her glory, honouring her for her abilities and performance (including a tournament saving equaliser in the semi-final!), she gives glory to God.
In acting the way she does, Michelle Agyemang embodies the core meaning of our passage this week. Colossians 3:1 and 2b say: ‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above … not on earthly things.’ Like Stephen who, when martyred, looked up and saw through the pain to see the living Christ, so Agyemang, in the ecstasy of victory, does the same and in doing so shows us all the way to go.
Gareth Crispin is Tutor for Youth and Children's Ministry at Emmanuel Theological College.
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 27 July 2025
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To engage or not?
Focus on Christ’s victory (Colossians 2,6-8) and ignore civil society’s concerns, fads and priorities! Really?
What are the modern equivalents of those societal forces Paul warns (verse 8) about, ‘empty deceit’ in ‘human tradition’, and ‘elemental spirits’?
Social media? 24-7 news? Conspiracy theories? Influencers?
Context
I came home from holiday last week to see in social media that a woman had been attacked in my quiet hometown. I wanted details! They were not reassuring. The attacker had a knife. I walk the path where it happened; my daughter too. Ignoring it isn’t an option. Engage, but how? By showing concern for that woman, for all fearful local women – and for the perpetrator. And with a will to press for the actions that will improve matters. That’s not un-Christian, surely?
The shortcomings of the water industry was big news this week. Is this hysteria? We live near the coast and fear sewage spills. People are made ill. Behind the catastrophic problems of the industry lurks the climate change that brings sudden rain and overflows, heatwaves and water shortages. Immediately or longer-term, environmental concern can’t be written off as a mere worldly distraction, or a failing that reveals lack of trust in God.
Reflection and ideas for a sermon, talk or conversation
Let's consider that phrase, 'See to it that no one takes you captive...' (Colossians 2:8). A local knife attack on a young woman inevitably causes unease and draws attention to the currently high-profile topics of misogyny and toxic masculinity. You could be led down a rabbit hole – as dark as the one explored by the incels who are encouraged by influencers to embrace toxic masculinity – and find a reality where every man is a threat and to be feared. You would lose sight of the good in both men and women, and overlook selfless acts such as that of the man who helped in the Exmoor coach crash. But verse 6 tells us not to do this. Christ is our rootstock and our foundation. Hang on to his teaching and the rabbit hole won’t be so tempting!
But the opposition between Christ’s teaching and that of the world is not always so clear-cut. Focusing on God’s triumph (verse 15) can produce controversial outcomes in some Christian quarters. This view suggests that we should disengage with – or, at least, downplay – worldly preoccupations with respect to climate change. Many would disagree, feeling that the perceived role of climate change in causing damaging rainfall, drought and wildfires means that we should be guided by the mantra of St Teresa of Avila: ‘He has no hands but our hands.’
Renewed in our Christian faith we must discriminate between godly concern for the planet and despairing or misguided panic that denies change or blames others for it.
We are seeing the change. While some consequences are fun we have a part to play: we can use water carefully, and press for far-sighted environmental policies and the promotion of renewable energy. Look wider too! Worry about the less-developed world whose problems with flash floods, droughts and wildfires can make our frazzled lawns, hosepipe bans and even flooding problems look trivial.
Instead of asking whether we should engage with worldly concerns, ask what mindset guides our engagement. The love we find in Christ will lead us not to blame and despair but to engage and hope; whether our concern is climate change, alienated young men, or disarray in the most basic societal infrastructures, here and abroad. Many years ago – probably fifty plus – an American academic addressing a student study group characterised Christian conversion as ‘metanoia, attitude change’. Says it all!
Questions for discussion
- Consider the potential for good or evil of social media campaigning.
- Is it enough of a Christian example to model being a truly loving and faithful community within the church? Or must a church engage more directly with social problems such as violence against women and girls, or climate issues, before it can claim to be living the new life in Christ?
- Are smart phones with their access to social media and the wider internet the curse of modern society? Or a boon?
- Any ideas for countering ‘toxic masculinity’?
Brenda Vance is a retired university teacher and URC Elder living in Sussex.
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
The opening line of a novel is vital to capturing the reader’s attention. One often-cited example comes from Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina: 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' While this may oversimplify complex family dynamics, it is an interesting view.
Research in Japan published this week found that optimists have surprisingly similar brain patterns when thinking of future scenarios. People were asked to imagine both positive and negative scenarios. MRI scans showed that optimistic thinkers displayed consistent brain activity patterns, suggesting a shared mental processing style. Those with a more pessimistic outlook followed lots of different mental pathways. Researchers propose that optimists may be better able to separate what’s good from bad, and visualise future difficulties in less detail than the positive outcomes.
Paul’s writing to the Colossians is to help them to discern what really matters, and to do that by centring their thoughts on Christ. Christianity is not specifically optimism, but it is about recognising the good news that in Christ we have come to fullness, and we can place our trust in Christ. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit can help us put off our old ways of being overly concerned about things, especially things that don’t align with God’s purposes. Paul teaches that Christ offers solutions that go beyond human reasoning. And when we choose to make Christ the head of our lives we can respond better to challenges and fears. Cultivating gratitude and reflecting regularly on God's goodness and love can also transform how we navigate life.
Question: Has thinking about Jesus ever helped you to see a situation differently?
Discussion idea: You may be facing upcoming changes after the summer. Consider talking to a friend or family member if you are ruminating over one of these.
Activity idea: Try crafting an opening sentence for the New Testament to engage readers in the life of Christ.
Dr. Angela Mak is a Licensed Lay Minister in Holy Trinity Shaw Church in West Swindon. She is also a schools worker, and retired biology teacher.
Sermon and discussion ideas for week beginning Sunday 20 July 2025
Feeling is believing?
Often, we say “Seeing is believing”; but with an invisible God, perhaps feeling is believing? (Col. 1:15a)
Context
Unsurprisingly, there is not much in the news related to today’s topic, thus I trust you’ll find the following links helpful:.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
The Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner (1904-1984) famously said “the Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist.” Christian mysticism is a holistic experience, involving heart and head, the tangible and the intangible, the invisible and the visible. Following on from this, the Bible makes it clear that humanity doesn’t cope very well or for very long with an invisible God (Exodus 32:1-6). Note also Donald Trump’s golden statue of himself in his proposed Gaza resort.
Idols are our way of coping with an invisible — but immanent — God and the lack of a solid spirituality (inner experience of God). Theological colleges are very good at teaching theology and doctrine but are often reluctant to train clergy in spiritual practices such as meditation and contemplative prayer. These are often treated as “optional extras.” But are they?
Colossians 1:15-28 bears some clear similarities with the Gospel of John. In verse 25 Paul speaks of making the “word” of God fully known. Many commentators think that the “word of God” refers to the Gospel — which it certainly can. But it can also refer to Jesus as the “Word” or “Logos” of God: the creative, cosmic wisdom. Read verses 15-17 and then read John 1:1-3. Note also how John deals with the problem of an invisible God in John 14:8, when Philip asks Jesus to “show us the Father.” We humans seemingly need empirical proof of God’s existence.
Questions regarding experiencing the invisible God
- Have you directly experienced God in voice, vision or presence? How did it feel to you? Did you feel you could share it with anyone or were you reluctant? What convinced you your experience was of God? How has it affected your spiritual journey?
- Listen to Haydn’s Die Himmel Erzählen/The Heavens Are Telling from his magnificent work, The Creation. Have you ever been so moved by God’s handiwork? Has the beauty of creation ever brought you to your knees? Or is God merely the clockwinder of the “Enlightenment” who has done his job and withdrawn from us?
Revd Dr Jack Lawson is a freelance writer and novelist: Doing Time, No Good Deed, Criminal Justice, The Woods and Dirty Business. His newest novel, Joab, (Wipf & Stock) is based on the life of King David. For more information visit: www.jacknlawson.com; https://jacknlawson.com/blog; https://wingsepress.com/pages/lawson-jack-n
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Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
“I’ve been watching the wheelchair tennis. Its incredible. They have to do all the things the able-bodied tennis players do and move around in wheelchairs as well.”
Those were the words with which my daughter greeted me last week. She was so enthusiastic about the sport I felt compelled to research it. I discovered that it was invented by Californian Brad Parks in 1977. Parks was participating at a freestyle skiing competition in Utah when he landed on his back on an icebound surface rather than on his skis. As a result of his injury, Parks was paralyzed. Whilst in hospital Parks created wheelchair tennis.
I thought this was an incredible story about an incredible man. In a way I was amazed that I had never heard of him. Thinking about it though I realised that there are many inventions that I know nothing about and I certainly do not know who was responsible for them. In St Paul’s letter to the Colossian Christians we read about the activity of the invisible God. We do not see God but become aware of God’s presence as a result of what he does. God is working creatively, quietly and invisibly all the time.
We do not see God but we recognise him from his actions by which he is made known. God is at work in our world through people like Brad Parks, through medical researchers and scientists, through ordinary people like us. It is so easy to overlook this and not to give God credit or express appropriate gratitude. Maybe we ought to try and put this right.
Revd Stuart Wild is a Methodist minister who has a wife and three daughters and cannot play tennis.
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 13 July 2025
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues
Encouragement or challenge
Might wisdom (Colossians 1:9) and compassion (Luke 10:33) join hands?
Context
In this troubled and troubling world, it is hard to know which troubles are the most significant. Unexpected floods in Texas? Yet another possible ceasefire in Gaza? Confusion over ongoing US trade war threats? Ongoing forgotten conflicts elsewhere like those in Myanmar and Haiti? Given that there is another heat-wave forecast for this weekend, were you at the Mass Lobby for Climate Justice last Wednesday? What about the first report from the inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT system? Perhaps you prefer to be gripped by Wimbledon or the women’s Euros?
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
This week Roots focuses on Paul’s encouraging words to to the Christians at Colossae and the gospel reading is the very familiar (perhaps over familiar?) story we call the Good Samaritan.
In his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul prays that they ‘may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding’ (v9). Wisdom is often in short supply both in our wider society and in the church. Too often we are offered opinion rather than wisdom. Sadly there is also a significant level of dishonesty in our media and in our politics. Dishonesty is corrosive. Paul’s words challenge us not just to apply wisdom in our own lives but also to challenge our politicians to act wisely and our media to help us to understand what is and is not true. Where is wisdom and understanding to be found in all the complex and troubling issues across the world such as those mentioned above?
The Good Samaritan is a story told as a teaching aid; there is no claim that this person is real. The hero is presented as a no-nonsense individual who sees beyond conventions, rituals and potential dangers, to provide the necessary help. For the Samaritan, this scenario has nothing to do with self-interest. The Samaritan could easily, like the others, have shaken his head in pseudo sympathy, perhaps even saying a prayer, and continued on his way. However, Jesus says he was moved with compassion, went out of his way to help, and used things at his disposal (resources and time) to make a difference to an injured person. Compassion, or empathy, are central to the Christian message. I find it deeply disturbing that the world’s richest man thinks that empathy is a problem, not a solution. When it comes to complex and fraught matters where judgement, integrity and wisdom are required, Jesus is still telling us to ‘go and do likewise’, or, to put it another way, do the right thing by other human beings!
Questions for discussion
- In public and church decision making, and in personal decisions, how might we judge what is wise (Colossians 1:9) from what is merely expedient?
- How do we respond to Jesus' final words ‘Go and do likewise’ (Luke 10:37)? What could this mean for us in our everyday lives?
- Are there situations in your life where you ‘passed by on the other side’ (Luke 10:31f)? How did you feel about it afterwards?
- If you have access to the hymn ‘Would you walk by on the other side? (Singing the Faith 257; Church Hymnal 5th edition 500), work through the questions asked in that hymn.
Dudley Coates is a local preacher in the Salisbury Methodist Circuit and a former Vice President of the Methodist Conference.
Check-in
Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Encouraging words
A quick glance in any supermarket over the last few weeks would have told you what time of year it is. Shelves are lined with boxes of chocolates, ‘best teacher’ mugs/keyrings, and a plethora of cards celebrating the fact that we have made it to the end of another year. Our children and young people may well be caught up in creating home-made gifts at home to give to their ‘favourite’ teacher, thanking them for all their work over the last academic year; and for teaching, helping and caring for them. As a former teacher, I can tell you that these small acts of appreciation mean a great deal at a time when everyone is weary and in need of a rest!
In today’s reading, Paul gives thanks to the church in Colossae for their faith and ‘love of all God’s people.’ There is something very special about being acknowledged and appreciated for the work you do, but how much more wonderful it is to notice someone’s faith and love? As the end of term draws near, we too may be limping towards a much-needed break, or preparing for the special events of summer, or faithfully setting one foot in front of the other in consistent service with our groups. It would be lovely to think that those children, young people and families in our care notice our faith and love, but how about us? Who do we give thanks to? Let us be people who share these encouraging words with our teams of volunteers, church leadership, and with every child and young person we work with throughout the year.
Becky May is Tutor in Children’s and Families Ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and CYF 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 6 July 2025
In touch
Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues
Growing community
Sharing others’ burdens fulfills God’s call on our lives (Galatians 6:7-16)
Context
MPs debated (and eventually passed) the Government’s Welfare Reform Bill this week after concessions to rebel MPs and disability campaigners.
Wimbledon has begun again and the legendary queuing system is in operation.
Depending on where you live, you will have different experiences of the heatwave that hit Europe this week.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
- The fight for the government to get its welfare bill through parliament has occupied much of our news space this week. The proposed cuts have moved campaigners to speak out against them because of the impact they will have on the lives of vulnerable people. Individual disabled people have spoken about their anxiety at how changes will impact them and how they manage everyday. If it was one person speaking up about these difficulties the likelihood is that they would have been ignored by government but it was thousands of individuals, charities, media personalities and MPs. As a result, the government had to make changes to the bill to appease enough of those MPs to get the bill through. As Christians, we are called to share the burdens of others and God and something miraculous can happen when we unite together over the struggles faced by another person or group. Who do we know who needs us to stand with them this week?
- The tennis tournament at Wimbledon generates its own community each year of people coming together to enjoy tennis, sunshine and strawberries. On our televisions we see the hats, the costumes and the chants supporting each plucky British underdog. Each year stories are shared of people meeting in the (incredibly long) queue for tickets, connecting over shared excitement for the day and making new friendships. In church, we are united in our decision to follow Jesus which leads us to recognise and bless others who share that commitment. Sometimes it is worth emphasising those things that bring us together as Christians to enable us to see afresh that we are are not journeying alone - we can receive support from others and they will need to receive our support in turn.
- The heatwave that has hit parts of Europe came with warning of risks to life and health - hence Italy banning outdoor work on some days. As with the Covid lockdowns, extreme weather leads some communities to work together: fetching shopping for those who need to stay in and keep cool or sharing water with those who are struggling. The conditions make it difficult for everyone - although some struggle more than others - and the ‘oxygen mask’ principle applies. In an aeroplane, when they describe how oxygen masks will be provided if the cabin loses pressure, people are instructed to fit their own masks first before helping others. In this way, a person doesn’t pass out and become a burden themselves from trying to fix things for someone else before looking after themselves. Our passage this week tells us to ‘carry our own loads’ which, to me, speaks of caring for ourselves so that we are able then to look after others. Sometimes, we like to prove our own strength or escape our own problems by fixing things for other people. The biblical approach is to be in the right place with God in our own lives before we then attend to the needs of those around us.
Questions for discussion
- What events in your community have brought people together?
- How have you been able to lift someone else's burden in the last month?
- How many people do you tell if you are having a difficult time? Do you find it easy to receive help from others?
- How do you manage your own load but still be able to support others?
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 numerous fish.
Check-in
Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Last weekend saw the return of Glastonbury Festival. With its rich cultural history, Glastonbury is known for it’s incredible line-ups, wild entertainment, and freedom. It is a once-in-a lifetime experience for some, and an annual trip (when not in a fallow year) for others.
Over the years ‘secret’ acts have been making the line-up, creating intrigue for both non-ticket and ticket holders alike, all wondering who will actually make an appearance. One of the secret acts this year was Lewis Capaldi. After being unable to complete his set at Glastonbury two years ago due to the severity of his Tourette's syndrome, Lewis made his emotional return this weekend.
What struck me the most about Lewis’ journey with Tourette's is the support from his fans - his community. When struggling to finish lines, they would sing them for him and cheer him on. This weekend, they celebrated with him and continued to pour out their support. He was not alone.
Our Bible verse this week really gets us to reflect on how we gather as a community to support others. What can we learn from Lewis’ fans? Do we help people when they’re struggling and cheer them on?
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.