Topic: Reconciliation

In an us-and-them world, people hope to find a way to get God on their side, but Jesus confounds our expectations of God siding against others.

In a world increasingly divided between violent powers, Jesus leads a kingdom that is a radical peaceful challenge to both of them.

Only when the world models itself on the self-sacrificial love and mercy we have seen in Jesus will it be saved from the cycles of apocalyptic violence and chaos.

En Cristo somos uno con toda la carne y la sangre, y por lo tanto nuestra lucha no es contra ningunas personas, sino contra los espíritus y los principados y los potestades que dividirían a la gente y les harían enemigos.

Building impressive buildings can be about a desire to monopolise and contain God, whereas God wants us to break down any walls that divide and exclude anyone.

A sermon in response to a broken relationship in the church

We are prepared to sacrifice and kill in the name of our God, but God is willing to be sacrificed and be killed to save us, even when we were enemies.

God has become flesh so that we might know God and realise our own destiny in God in the world.

In our desire to see mercy and compassion expressed for the needy, we must beware of falling into desiring the exact opposite for those who have not shown mercy and compassion.

Christ is present to us in love, unity and reconciliation, and thus these are essential to our worship.

God and religion misunderstood can be the cause of hostility, division and violence, but the God made known to us in Jesus is a God of grace who generously gives us life, freedom and reconciliation.

Jesus calls us to give up the illusion that we own God’s blessing, invite others in, and be despised for doing so, giving up our privileges to build a world that all can share.