A little child shall lead us
Christmas Day, December 25 2016 Isaiah 52.7-10; Hebrews 1.1-5; John 1.1-14 Rev Páraic Réamonn, St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem Who would think that what was needed to transform and save the earth might not be a plan or army, proud in purpose, proved in worth? Who would think, despite derision, that a child should …
Just say yes
Christmas Eve, December 24 2016 Genesis 18.1-21; Isaiah 9.2, 6-7; Luke 1.26-35, 38a; Luke 2.1-7; Matthew 2.1-12; John 1.1-14 Rev Páraic Réamonn, St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem No wind at the window, no knock on the door; no light from the lampstand, no foot on the floor; no dream born of tiredness, no ghost raised …
Why is there a conflict in Israel/Palestine?
December 5 2016 Nothing enlivens our faith so much as walking in the footsteps of Jesus. Nothing awakes our compassion so much as seeing how Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the land of Jesus today suffer as a consequence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem, …
The day and the hour
Advent Sunday, November 27 2016Isaiah 2.1-5; Psalm 122.1-9; Romans 13.11-14; Matthew 24.36-44Páraic Réamonn, St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem Welcome to Advent! In this season we look back, remembering the coming of Christ at Christmas and all that this means for us. But on this Sunday – Advent Sunday – we look forward, reminding ourselves …
Two masters
Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, November 13 2016 Isaiah 65.17-25; Isaiah 12; 2 Thessalonians 3.6-13; Luke 21.5-19 Páraic Réamonn, St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem In Flanders fields the poppies grow between the crosses, row on row, that mark our place: and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly Scarce heard amid the guns …
Why is the Church of Scotland in Israel/Palestine?
October 25 2016 What follows is, more or less, what I said to the Presbytery of Edinburgh on October 4 and later repurposed, with appropriate tweaking, for the International Presbytery in Lausanne on October 8. My thanks to both presbyteries for their warm hospitality. Moderator, let me bring greetings from the Presbytery of Jerusalem. Not …
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Two kinds of people
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, October 23 2016 Joel 2.23-32; 2 Timothy 4.6-8, 16-18; Luke 18.9-14 Páraic Réamonn, St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew in the days of the second temple, calling his people to repentance and renewal. Luke the evangelist was a gentile Christian two generations later, writing his …
The arc of history
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, October 16 2016 Jeremiah 31.27-34; Psalm 119.33-40; 2 Timothy 3.14-4.5; Luke 18.1-8 Páraic Réamonn, St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem On Thursday in New Hampshire, Michelle Obama lifted the US election campaign out of the gutter in which it had lain captive far too long and set it free to fly. …
My heart is in Jerusalem
Yom Kippur, October 12 2016 – The solar-powered hot-water tank on the roof of my apartment yesterday died of terminal rust. Somewhat to my astonishment, and with a little help from my neighbours and my landlord’s parents, we got it replaced by lunchtime, just before West Jerusalem began to go quiet in the run-up to …
Rekindle the gift of God that is within you
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, October 2 2016 Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1.1-14; Luke 17.5-10 Murrayfield Parish Church, Edinburgh Psalm 137 is a hymn. But it’s a peculiar kind of hymn. Six centuries before Jesus was born, the empire of Babylon captured the city of Jerusalem, destroyed the first temple, and led the leading families of …