New Kid on the Blog

Hi - remember me, and that Jan 3rd posting about blogging daily? Well, that hasn't worked out too well. So I am back, hopefully with some ideas to be kicking around and getting responses to. As I've mentioned before I do blog every now and then on our Church website St John the Divine Anglican Church  - in fact I did managed an Art blog every day through Lent there, and I do get to write for the local paper's Spiritually Speaking every few months with an article in the print edition and a blog post follow up. I'm also doing the usual round of preaching, speaking, leading etc, even in these Pandemic times - and there's daily prayers on our website and Facebook Page , and our Sunday Services are livestreamed to our YouTube page.  So it's quiet here, but I am not quiet. As my wife will probably tell you if you ask!  That aside - why the sudden urge to post?  Well #BlackLivesMatter and so does truth, and today I saw on a page a posting by someone who clearly doesn...

It's incomplete, and I made the deliberate choice not to stuff it with references and quotes. This one comes from the heart: To Marriage Commission of the General Synod Anglican Church of Canada From: The Rev’d Alastair McCollum Rector, St John the Divine Anglican Church 1611 Quadra Street, Victoria BC V8W 2L5 My response to the questions posited by the Marriage Commission are below. How do you interpret what scripture says about marriage? What Scripture says about marriage is much more fluid and less easily pinned down than those who advocate for ‘Biblical Marriage’ often proclaim.  We see throughout the Biblical texts multiple models for relationships: monogamous and multiple partner marriage, concubinage, co-habitation, and much more are all endorsed, or simply understood as present as the scriptural texts reflect the cultural norms from which they arise. What I understand from Scripture is that there is a significantly nuanced understand...

Here's the player for today's sermon in case you prefer to listen rather than read!

Today I preached a sermon that I found moving both to prepare and to share.  I am struck at this point in my journey of faith by the great privilege of the ministry to which I am called, but the graciousness of my Christian community and by the sense of moving together in our sharing of story.  We are growing as a Christian fellowship. So this sermon is very personal, and relatively dense - I will post it as a podcast but for now here is the text version. This follows on directly from last week's sermon and a few people wanted the text, probably to dissect! As always, taster on this page, link takes you to New Kid Deep Stuff blog (much underused these days)... Epiphany 2 (20 14 ) Year A RCL Principal Isaiah 49:1–7 Psalm 40:1–12  1 Corinthians 1:1–9 John 1:29–42 Come and See First up, a little thought which I did say to the sermon Circle I wasn’t going to share, but it leads me into what I want to say this Morning too well to keep to myself.   It’...

It's been far too long since I have inflicted a sermon on you, and the New Kid Deep Stuff blog is looking sadly neglected. Here's a sermon from a few weeks back! I may well post a few more in the coming days. Easter 5 (2001) Year C RCL Principal Acts 11.1-18 Psalm 148 John 13.31-35 Letting the outside in and the inside out… Early one morning a young man received a telephone call, rather unusually God was at the other end of the line. Hello there, said God, I’m coming to see you today. Rather excited this young man set about clearing up his flat, tidying up, dusting, hoovering etc etc After a couple of hours of this the flat looked fantastic – and he sat down to wait. [more]