The Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann died in June 2025. He was a pre-eminent professor of Theology and his work on preaching, the Psalms, the practice of Sabbath, and the Prophetic writings in the Bible were masterful. So much of his work was weaved together with different themes. One of the themes, was “radical hope”.Another of his themes that was always so striking, was his reflections on Western society, particularly the United States, being caught up in the grasp of what he described as a “culture of death”. His argument, at its most simplistic rendering was that this culture was driven by, consumerism, militarism and the notion of scarcity. We all want things. We’ll fight for things. We base so much of our world-view on the idea that “those people over there” want our… whatever, and we will guard it and even try to take theirs. For Brueggemann the consequence of this world view meant that it is easy to dehumanize others, to see people for what we can get out of them. It meant that so much of society becomes anxiety-ridden. Endlessly comparing ourselves to others, envying others, trying to take what belongs to others. Ultimately this world view can lead to violence. Hubristic military action, or the violent taking of other people’s resources, maybe breaking into someones house and stealing their jewellery, maybe it’s more to do with envying another nation’s national resources.The ”culture of death” sounds disappointingly all too familiar. And yet, as Christians, at this time of year, we celebrate the death of death. We celebrate life winning out over the forces of darkness. we remember the death of, and celebrate the resurrection of, Jesus, God’s son.We celebrate our calling to be people who live the culture of resurrection, not death. Through Jesus God is making all things new. It’s time to play our part by “beating swords into ploughshares” and whispering “resurrection” to our neighbours in the street, and to the plants growing in our gardens!Happy Resurrection day everyone!Rev Tim
I was recently reading a short article about one of my favourite films. Released about 25 years ago, the movie didn’t ‘do well’ at the cinema and when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival it was mercilessly booed after the screening. The film has since been regarded as a “modern classic” by different reviewers. Last year, I won a signed shirt from a local sports team. Once I was the proud owner of the shirt I thought I’d go and watch the team. I did, and I’ve been watching them reasonably regularly since. The team did really well and found themselves promoted and then facing tougher opposition and things have been more of a struggle since. So much so that the team parted company with the manager. Had the team not been promoted and therefore facing more difficult opponents, perhaps the manager might not have left?In 2015 a friend and I recorded and released a post-hardcore, punk, metal, shouty CD album. With tongues firmly planted in cheeks, we sent the CD out to be reviewed. Ultimately we received one review: 6/10 and my favourite line of the review was “This is a very unusual CD”. (It could have been worse, it could have said, “I liked the bit when it ended”)Movies, sports teams, music releases: they are reviewed, judged, discussed, dissected. Their value can so easily be defined by a simple metric, dollars made, points scored, rating out of 10.As people we face all kinds of reviews and ratings, exam results, job interviews, etc, etc.And yet, as people we can also take one metric into consideration - we are loved.Loved by God, not for who we are, or what we have achieved - or not, but simply because. Because we are the creator’s creation. Made in God’s image, bearing God’s finger prints. Our forgiveness signed, sealed, delivered on the cross we remember at Easter. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but it is true - YOU ARE LOVED!BlessingsRev Tim
It’s Ash Wednesday on Wednesday 18th February and from that point until Ascension Day on Thursday 14th of May my hope is that St. Margaret’s and All Saints’ will be journeying through a sermon series entitled God on the Road.God on the Road is a series of readings that will take us on a journey, reminding us that “God is always on the move” and that while we encounter the beauty of God in church services, so much of the work of God in the scriptures is found in the forgotten, barren and hurting places. As we pilgrimage through this earthly life it is helpful to remember that so much of the work of God (in all God’s wholeness) in scripture takes place on journeys, on the way to somewhere, on difficult and testing paths, on the road towards the new creation and the good future God has in store for all of us.On Sundays we will walk with Moses through our Sunday readings leading up to Palm Sunday. We will then follow Jesus from Palm Sunday until the resurrection, encountering Jesus in some resurrection appearances.The sense of direction for this series has emerged from a real sense of God’s leading: in each parish, at this time, we are challenged in who we (as churches) are in Jesus and I believe we should be challenged to explore where and how we might serve God as pilgrims walking the road as followers of The Way of Jesus.I hope you will join in following God on the Road.Tim
I wonder, how was 2025 for you? Perhaps it’s been a year of saying ‘goodbye’, or perhaps it’s been a year of saying ‘hello’. Maybe 2025 has been a year of good stuff. Then again maybe 2025 has been a year of bad stuff.Or what about, starting a new hobby, or job or relationship, or post-illness recovery?Or a year of just trying to make it through with family, financial, and work challenges?The chances are that 2025 has brought a whole host of things to your door, the ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘rather have avoided that completely’. The turning of the year is as good a time as any to take a moment to pause and to look back, to reflect on the year that has been, the challenges that have been faced, the impossibilities that have been overcome. There are all sorts of ways we can do this. One Christian practice often used at the end of a day, or year, is an Examen, basically asking, how was that (looking back), how are things (looking at now) and what are you hoping for (looking forward). This may or may not be a useful practice.Maybe something as intentional as an Examen feels a bit forced, but perhaps pause and have a think, what moments of delight caught you off guard this year? It doesn’t have to be anything big like winning the lottery. As I write this I’m reminded of one such moment for me this year. When at 7pm one Sunday evening I was supposed to be heading out the door to set up for a course starting at 7:30pm when at just the moment I was about to leave one of my children came in for a hug. So we hugged, and chatted and it was the best reason to be late I could ever have.Merry Christmas and God bless you in the big stuff and all the small things as you head into 2026, watch out for those wonderful moments when wonder breaks through.Tim
