Nov 13th - Luke 21:5-19 ‘Endurance’

At some point we have all seen and heard someone shouting on the street or on the internet about the end of the world. You’d be forgiven for thinking that today’s Gospel is trying to achieve the same thing. We are reading the final chapters of Luke’s Gospel for Year C. Jesus is in Jerusalem and the passages we hear are talking about end times. The people gathered are obviously excited having seen how magnificent the Temple is, having come ‘up from the country’ and Jesus is trying to calm them down. The time for excitement might not be just yet. Jesus reminds them, and us, that these things are short-lived and we should not be too bothered about ‘fine stonework’ and ‘votive offerings’. These things do not last.

Jesus tries to comfort the people regarding various crisis that will happen; the call is to take perspective, to look at the bigger picture. Endurance is the message of today’s gospel. The people of Jerusalem will witness the destruction of the Temple, the disciples will face persecution, people of faith will have tough times ahead. Whatever crisis may come, Jesus is affirming people to keep going, to stay focused and not be afraid.

“Lord, when we are young we think that we become great through our achievements. Life has taught us the truth of Jesus’ words: it is by endurance that we win our lives” Michel de Verteuil

First Sunday of Advent 2015 (Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36)

Happy New (church) Year! Today is the First Sunday of Advent and we begin the season of ‘waiting’. 

The Gospel today has powerful (and perhaps distressing) images of great signs that will appear. For many of us this year we saw lots of signs that Christmas was coming, even as far back as September, which is more distressing than any of the images in the Gospel today. Some people love that feeling of expectancy, of waiting for someone or something to arrive. It can be quite an exciting time or even one of anxiety. Very often we are on high alert during such a time, and often quite creative. We are asked to enter into the season of preparation, to celebrate God in our lives and in our world. It is a season of great joy and of hope and while waiting is not always seen as a good thing, it can be an interesting time of growth. So, what will our preparations be like? In the middle of the crazy, busy days in the run up to Christmas, can we stop and invite God into our hearts and lives once more?

“As with madness we prepare for this festive time of year, as we rush and count the days, Advent passes in a haze, So may our feet take us to places where we will meet You” (Janet Lees)

Fashion Changes; Style Endures Luke 21:5-19

We are reading the final chapters of Luke’s Gospel for Year C. Jesus is in Jerusalem and the passages we hear are talking about end times. The people gathered are obviously excited having seen how magnificent the Temple is, having come ‘up from the country’ and Jesus is trying to calm them down. The time for excitement might not be just yet. Jesus reminds them, and us, that these things are short-lived and we should not be too bothered about ‘fine stonework’ and ‘votive offerings’. These things do not last.
Jesus’ main warning is not to believe many who will come claiming to know when the end times will be.

A series of quotations from Jesus follows in which he gives comfort to the people about various crisis that will happen. Luke is almost giving us a subsequent history of the Christian community. It is not all doom and gloom, but we need to take perspective and look at the bigger picture. Endurance is the message of today’s gospel. The people of Jerusalem will witness the destruction of the Temple, the disciples will face persecution, people of faith will have tough times ahead. Whatever crisis may come, Jesus is affirming us to keep going, to stay focused and not be afraid.


“Lord, when we are young we think that we become great through our achievements. Life has taught us the truth of Jesus’ words: it is by endurance that we win our lives” Michel de Verteuil