On Sunday 2nd February, Chris introduced our new series: listening carefully to what our Master says. We’ll be working through the Sermon on the Mount, listening afresh to Jesus’ wisdom and praying that we will be surprised by these familiar words. What does it mean for us to respond to Jesus’ challenging, puzzling, revolutionary call to establish God’s kingdom on Earth, ‘where Love has the final word but it’s costly too’? The reading is Matthew 5:1-12. You can listen here or using the player below.
On Sunday 19th January, we welcomed Bishop Anna of Ripon to our gathering and she spoke to us about the story of Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11). In this Epiphany season of signs and wonders, what helps us to realise that God is with us here on Earth? How are we to be God’s co-workers? Bishop Anna encouraged us that God offers us a life of abundance even in tough times, and can transform whatever challenge we face. You can listen here or using the player below.
On Sunday 5th January, we had a small gathering for those who were able to make it to Kairos in the snow and ice. The day did not unfold quite as we expected and there was need to improvise, including recording the talk on a mobile phone rather than proper sound equipment! So please excuse the occasional coughs and rustles as you listen to this encouraging message.
We read Romans 15:1-13 and Ben focused on v13 (see picture) as he spoke about hope. How can we find or build hope, especially if we’re experiencing a ‘hope deficit’ in our lives? Searching out others’ sources of hope can be so encouraging and discussing the question ‘what makes you hopeful?’ in your communities or households might be a place to start.
Many of the biblical encouragements to hope were written by people in exile or dealing with difficulty or times of waiting. As the new year starts, do you need to take some time to clear away the ‘rubble’ that can get in the way of building hope, honestly lamenting the times you’ve felt God’s absence?
Jesus gives us solid foundations on which to build our hope – affirming the goodness and beauty of creation; sacrificing himself to solve all that has gone wrong, unite all with God, beat death and offer us a certain future of eternity with God; promising to return and put everything right; and empowering us by God’s Spirit to pray and work for God’s kingdom here and now.
Several suitcases appeared around the hall during our gathering on 15th December. Looking inside them, we worked out that they must belong to the angels, the shepherds, the wise men and Mary and Joseph, all journeying to Bethlehem. They were carrying a mixture of good news, obedience, wonder, fear, anxiety and prophetic gifts along with some practical items needed on the way. The fifth suitcase belonged to Jesus who brought God’s generous gifts with him to Bethlehem: freedom, hope, justice, release, healing. Jesus still brings ‘the way heaven is to Earth’. Ben asked us, what do you bring to Christmas? What do you need from Jesus? The reading is Isaiah 42:1-7. You can listen here or using the player below.
We marked the beginning of Advent on 1st December, a season where we acknowledge the realities of fear, violence and exploitation while hoping, working and praying for a better future shaped by God’s justice and peace. Jen spoke about hope, encouraging us to be open to God’s transforming power in our lives which forms us into people who can be agents of peace, justice and reconciliation in the world. The reading is Isaiah 11:1-10. You can listen here or using the player below.
Following on from his talk at the Feast last month, Ben continues to explore God’s invitation to a deeper journey and practical ways we might respond to this call. Encounter and growing depth of relationship with God forms us into the safe, peaceful, loving, generous people the world needs. Reflecting on Romans 12:1-5, Ben discusses the ways we might intentionally and practically, individually and corporately worship God with our whole lives and be (trans)formed in the process. You can listen here or using the player below.
Ben also mentions two ways you can dig into the message of Romans a bit more: using the Bible Project’s introduction which you can find here, and a book and a course about Romans produced by the Bible Society.
On Sunday 3rd November we were visited by Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s country director for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Poppy shared stories of her life and work in DRC, the challenges she, her family and her team have faced, and how they have experienced God’s goodness in the midst of difficulty. The reading is John 1:1-5. You can listen here or using the player below. You can find out more about Tearfund’s work in DRC here.
At Kairos’ 14th birthday celebration, Ben shared some sabbatical news, updates on current church projects (first 9 minutes of the talk), and a sense of where God is leading us for the next season. In a fearful, complex and conflicted world, God invites us to go deeper, no longer paddling on the beach but embarking on a journey to explore the ocean depths of God’s love. Not settling for being close to God’s kingdom, are we willing to step into it? We will continue to learn and discuss what it means to put this into practice, but a first way of saying ‘yes’ to God’s invitation is to learn how to pray “in a way that connects you with God and allows you to start to process what you see around you in the natural on a slightly different level, that allows you to access God’s presence, provision and care.”
God welcomes us to “deeper life in a world of fragmentation; deeper church in a world of polarisation; deeper faith in a world of uncertainty… Take another step, there’s an ocean to explore, there are wonders of the deep. Will you come?”
Readings are Mark 12:28-34 and Ephesians 3:14-18. You can listen to the talk here or using the player below.
On 6th October, we read Acts 28:1-16 as Paul and others arrive on the island of Malta after their shipwreck. Jude Smith asked us, what is your Kingdom ambition? What is it that God invites you into? Sometimes our ambitions are ‘shipwrecked’ as Paul was, but that isn’t the end of our story. How can we welcome people who have been disappointed and hold them in their pain? We continue by prayer and intention, maintaining integrity, sometimes waiting and resting, sometimes spotting the Kingdom activity that happens in the unexpected diversion. You can listen here or using the player below.
Reflecting on the story of Paul’s shipwreck from Acts 27:21-44, Sarah asks, ‘Whose voice do we trust in a storm?’ God is with us in every difficulty, not sparing us or giving us an escape route but present alongside us. Trusting in God’s presence and friendship is the foundation for our prayers, actions and courage. We may see God’s blessing extend beyond us to those around us. You can listen here or using the player below.
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