Tübingen

Sitting on a balcony at the mo overlooking the Swabian Alps, having enjoyed delicious Schnitzel last night, and too much gorgeous German cake this afternoon. I sure needed this break, especially as the last few weeks have been pretty busy. I miss Tübingen! But I do get to do what I love in London, so you won't hear much complaining from me!

On Good Friday I co-lead the HTB meditations with two of my St Mellitus colleagues. I spoke on Romans 5:1-11 and Matthew 27:27-50.

On the basis of the Irenaean principle ("No one can know God unless God himself is the teacher"), we see that in the Romans 5 texts:

God makes himself known in Christ and by the Spirit as one utterly and unconditionally committed to us in love. And because this is so we can have confidence, through trials, that God is entirely for us.

The "existential" point of my sermon on Matthew 27, was that the cry of dereliction sanctifies the parts of our human existence that seem absent of the presence and blessing of God, it hallows and respects our hardest and most painful questions, doubts and struggles. As we are called up into Christ and his death, our laments are not superseded, or judged unholy, they are rather sanctified and included as part of an authentic spiritual life. As much as our praise, our ‘Why God?’ questions are holy.