Thursday, June 26, 2014

Clothes as sacramental

I am trying to do some thinking about whether the Scriptures and other stuff might be said to be sacramental and came across this quotation on The Facebook:



"The traditional Quaker maid covers herself with the most voluminous and ugliest possible vesture of unrelieved black, while her shallow sister of the world thinks of nothing but 'fashion.' To the Christian woman, clothes can be as sacramental as anything else, they constitute something which can pleasingly express spirituality, that can be a quite joyful sign of the glory of God's intricate creation. 'Let *all* the world in *every* corner sing: My God and King'" -- Martin Thornton.

Possibly from Christian Proficiency

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Exodus 1 - jottings in place of sermon headings



(9 finely crafted and memorable headings which any homoletics class would be proud of, as ever. I would have been interested to talk about whether or not the midwives lied and, if so, were they were right to do so, but I have decided it may not be the most pressing issue for people).

God had been blessing his people and keeping his promises (vv5 & 7)


God’s people sometimes face terrible suffering -
trusting Jesus isn’t a magic insurance policy guaranteeing an easy life.

Suffering isn’t a sign that we’ve necessarily "done something wrong" or somehow "stepped outside God's will".


God's purposes are unstoppable

Pharaoh might think he’s in charge, but God is really in control.
 
The Hebrew midwives are right (v17) to fear God more than they fear Pharaoh.
 
These midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, are a great encouragement to us that God can wonderfully use ordinary people who put him first.

It’s possible to know God’s blessing even in the midst of suffering (vv20-21)


God will eventually deliver his people from suffering.