Category Archives: sermon preparation

Hannah’s hope: Eli’s affirmation

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

One last story about Hannah and me before Sunday. Eli saw Hannah praying in the temple, and assumed that she was drunk, because her lips were moving but she made no sound. He tried to send her away; but she … Continue reading →

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Hannah’s hope: Anticipation

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

I don’t often tell this story, because it makes me seem a little bit mad. But Hannah understands. Hannah left the temple and she ate and drank and her countenance was no longer sad. She wasn’t pregnant; she had no … Continue reading →

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Hannah’s hope

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

I could say a lot about Hannah. I feel as though I almost know her, I have almost met her, across a crowd, just out of reach. I recognize her, the tilt of her head, her hair obscuring her face. … Continue reading →

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Year B Proper 27: All

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

Naomi had lost everything. She had nothing left to lose, nowhere left to go but home, no one on whom to lean, on whom she had a claim. So she gave it all up, sent her daughters-in-law away, tore up … Continue reading →

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Year B Proper 24: Sunday sermon spoiler alert

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

“You do not know what you are asking.” One commentator that I read this week suggested that when James and John asked to sit at the right and the left hand of Jesus when he came into his glory, they … Continue reading →

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Year B Proper 23: Some novel assistance

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

Some further deliberations on the rich young man gospel (Mark 10: 17-31), with help from a Nick Hornby novel.* (Sunday sermon spoiler alert!): There’s a novel by Nick Hornby which I read some years ago called How to be Good. … Continue reading →

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Year B Proper 23: Poor little rich boy

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

“No one is good but God.” It was a warning. It was the truth. The rich young ruler had plenty of responsibilities weighing him down like heavy garments, like fur rugs and gold chains. He was weary; he was worried. … Continue reading →

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Year B Proper 21: salted with fire

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

It was bedtime, so I gave the fire a stir to make sure it really was dying down, and of course, as fires are wont to do when stirred up, it sprang back into life. So the cat and I … Continue reading →

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Year B Proper 20: mixed motives

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

We are complicated creatures, we humans. We can hear a dogmatic statement that “whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all,” and right away, we can begin competing to come last, to be the … Continue reading →

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Who do you say that I am?

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Rosalind C Hughes

free speaker, freedom fighter, freak, felon, rabble rouser, innocent, manipulator, incarnation, martyr-maker, messianic prophet, faker, visionary, revisionist preacher, pacifist, agitator, egocentric, faithful saviour, Son of God, Son of Man, who do you say I am?

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