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.
Jemima explains how care for creation is an important part of our discipleship and why climate change is an urgent problem. She references some resources to help us understand God’s love for creation and how we can make changes to our way of life to reduce our impact on the environment: Take the Jump and ‘Jesus died to save the planet’ from LICC which you can read here.
You can listen to her talk here or using the player below.
Image credit: Ben Goode ‘Changing Environment’
Mandy visited Kairos on 4th August and spoke to us about Saul’s conversion story recorded in Acts 9:1-19. Are we viewing the world, our circumstances and other people from God’s perspective? Do we need to change? Empowered by God’s Spirit and with the support and encouragement of the Christian community, change is possible. You can listen here or using the player below.
Kairos supports the work of International Justice Mission (IJM), a Christian charity which exists to bring an end to modern slavery, human trafficking and violence. On Sunday 7th July, we welcomed local IJM ambassadors Colin and Judith Ashurst who shared with us about the work of IJM. Judith read the story of God’s call to Moses to lead the people of Israel to freedom (Exodus 2:23-3:17) and spoke to us about God’s concern for all who are enslaved and abused. You can listen here or using the player below.
If you would like to find out more about the work of IJM and how you can support them, you can visit their website here.
Continuing our series on friendship with God and other people, Ben reflects on the courage of Peter and John in Acts 4:1-21. They have healed a man in Jesus’ name and now they are facing criticism from the religious authorities, trusting in Jesus’ promise that they will be given the words they need in the face of hostility. Ben explores how we can allow God to cultivate this sort of courage in us as individuals and in community, helping us to overcome the temptation to fight or run away (even when that seems like a sensible option) and instead accept God’s invitation to live in freedom in troubling times, perceiving more clearly what God is doing, and ‘weaving a canopy of trust under which other people can find shelter’ (Elizabeth Oldfield, ‘Fully Alive’).
What do you need courage for? Who might God be inviting you to stand with? How might God grow courage in you?
You can listen here or using the player below.
Jen reads the story of the first outpouring of God’s Spirit as the Church began (Acts 2:1-21;40-41). She invites us to consider how we have experienced the Spirit at work in our lives and our readiness to receive more as God continues to give this gift, then to share with our friends and neighbours in a spiritually hungry society. God’s gift of the Spirit is the true source of satisfaction for those who search for fulfilment in all sorts of places. You can listen here or using the player below.
“We are to be flung out across communities, across the nation and the world, mingling and sparkling like God’s glitter, sparkling amongst ordinary life to show that God’s love is not so ordinary but is something radical and life-changing.” – Dennis Ashley
On Sunday 5th May, we were visited by Mark Burgess, one of our mission partners from Oikos Peru who shared stories about his work and calling then spoke about Acts 1:1-11, Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples before his ascension. Mark encouraged us in our waiting for God’s calling to come to fruition in our lives and invited us to receive God’s Spirit to transform and equip us to fulfil God’s call. You can listen here or using the player below.
The image is a statue of Christ the protector in Cusco, Peru.
Reflecting on the restoration of Peter recorded in John 21 v1-19, Paul talks about the possibilities and challenges of forgiveness, reassuring us of the kindness of God who is always ready to make the first move towards reconciliation with us. The first minute or so of the talk is missing from the recording; here Paul set the scene by reminding us of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus on the night of his arrest. You can listen here or using the player below.
The image is of a bowl repaired using the kintsugi method which Paul refers to in his talk. Picture by David Pike.
On Sunday 7th April, Chris spoke about John’s gospel, ch20 v19-31 which tells the story of Jesus’ visits to his disciples, hiding behind locked doors. Thomas misses the first encounter and doubts Jesus until he appears the second time. Jesus breathes his gift of peace (wholeness or ‘shalom’) onto his frightened disciples. God’s shalom is stronger than the fears within us and the adversity we face. Chris encourages us that doubt is an element of faith; the opposite of faith is certainty, and Jesus’ gift of peace empowers us to risk even when we are not certain. You can listen here or using the player below.
The image is Caravaggio’s ‘The incredulity of St Thomas’.
Happy Easter – Jesus is risen! When Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus, he helps her to enter his reality and see from a different perspective then share this new understanding with others. We are invited to enter God’s reality too, where fear, violence and intimidation do not have the last word. Jesus has overcome death and we have hope to share with the world. The reading is John 20 v1-18. You can listen here or using the player below.
Images below by Gergely Dudas (www.thedudolf.com) which Ben references at the beginning of his talk.
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