John van de Laar

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Today's reading is a strange one, which takes some careful thought to understand. It begins with a group of Pharisees warning Jesus of Herod's intention [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK On the first Sunday in Lent, we always meditate on the temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness. Even as we read, though, we may find [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The story of the transfiguration appears in all three of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Its purpose is to confirm, in the moments [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK While it may not seem like it, the theme running through the Lectionary this week could be viewed as ‘resurrection living.’ The Corinthians reading actually [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK This week in the Lectionary we are faced with the daily choice of how we choose to live. In Jeremiah, those who trust in human [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Last week we explored grace and recognised that grace includes both God’s invitation to life and God’s confrontation of all that robs us of life. [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK When Jesus read the scroll of Isaiah in his hometown of Nazareth, the people listened attentively. When he claimed that he was the fulfilment of [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK One of the marks of Jesus' life was his strong sense of purpose. Christian scholars debate how much Jesus, in his humanity, understood his divine [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK If your church is following the Revised Common Lectionary, you will probably hear the story of Jesus changing water to wine from John’s Gospel today. [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The first Sunday after Epiphany always focuses on the baptism of Jesus. This year Luke's version of this story is the main reading. You might [...]