James's Weblog

Interpreting the parables

Mark 4:10-12 falls between the telling of the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9) and its explanation (Mark 4:13-20).

In these verses, Jesus explains why he used parables to teach. Parables act as a filter, because the amount gleaned varies according to whether the hearer wishes to put the teaching into practice or not. Merely listened to with disinterest, they will remain at arms length; however, the person who wishes to live out what Jesus teaches will understand them enough to do so.

Blog Category:

Mark

Parable of the sower: A bumper crop

The parable of the sower, whilst cautioning that the responses to the word will vary, is overall designed to encourage us to expect a good response.

I've noted before that the word for "seed" in Mark 4 is singular in verses 4, 5 and 7, but plural in verse 8. This is all the more striking when you consider that "seed" is a collective noun in Greek as much as in English, "seeds" is bad grammar. Seed may fall on the path. Seed may wither in shallow soil. Seed may be choked by weeds. But seeds will flourish.

Blog Category:

Mark

Psalm chants

Anyone wanting to learn how Anglican Chant works as a musical style for the Psalms could look at a couple of introductory webpages.

There is a helpful one on the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A15716595.

There is a helpful one on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_chant, where I particularly like the example given - with a colour-coded musical stave that can be matched up to the text of part of the Magnificat printed in the same colours. Nice.

Blog Category:

Psalms

Hymns and Songs

Objections to Preterism

Steve's Jeffery charts a helpful course through the most common objections to preterism.

So, if you don't know what preterism is, or if you're unsure as to whether there's something inherently dodgy in that view known as preterism, or if you have friends who are in one of those boats, I would recommend reading his post.

Blog Category:

Theology

Colin's on his way over here...

G'day everyone!

Many readers of this blog will already be familiar with the Aussie Christian children's entertainer / singer / song-writer Colin Buchanan. We possess 4 of his CDs in this house, and enjoy them regularly.

Well, Colin's heading over to Blighty to go on tour, so there is a rare opportunity to take the children in your family / church to go and hear him live. (And if you are an adult who wants to go, but doesn't have any children in your church or family, you must know someone to go with, surely - if not, I'd go anyway!)

Blog Category:

Children

Hymns and Songs

The need to love one another

David Jackman is spot on in his analysis of 1 John 4:13-21. In his commentary in The Bible Speaks Today series, the penultimate paragraph discusses the notion that we can love God, and yet not love our Christian brothers and sisters. He says this:

Blog Category:

1-3 John

Enjoy the metaphors in Psalm 61

They are not uncommon metaphors in the Psalms, but one after the other they offer a wonderful barrage of imagery portraying the security, shelter, help and support that God's people can find in their God. This was the shelter that Jesus availed himself of, first and foremost, and by extension is available to all who are in Christ.

Blog Category:

Psalms

Why seek the living among the dead?

Having come to the end of the Easter weekend, and having delivered many sermons / talks / meditations during the course of that weekend, it is refreshing to read Peter Leithart's Easter Homily for this year, and be fed and encouraged from the Scriptures for myself.

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?", the angel said to the first witnesses. It's a funny place to look - and yet, in many ways, it's where we often look too. Have a read.

Blog Category:

Christian Life

Psalm 22

It's Good Friday the day after tomorrow.

If, like me, you enjoy finding snippets to read to help you reflect on the events of Good Friday, may I recommend you take a visit to Steve Jeffery's blog, and read his post entitled The Deliverance of the Cross, where he reflects on Psalm 22, and why Jesus appropriates it in the way he does.

Blog Category:

Psalms

Which Parish do I live in?

TL;DR

Are you trying to find out which Church of England Parish you live in? Simply visit the link below and put your postcode into the search tool. Note, they've changed their website. You now have to wait after entering your postcode, and select one of the autocomplete entries served by Google maps; only then can you click the arrow button to begin your search.

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/

Blog Category:

Church Life

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