Goodhand in Banbury

  This Sunday’s Gospel reading see’s   Jesus ask his disciples a question. "Who do you say that I am?" When Peter in response declares you are the Messiah we need to note that he was influenced by the Jewish thinking of the day.   Pharisees who said the Messiah could only come if people became pure and who then discriminated against others who they said were not. By implication they were holding up the Messiahs return. Zealots who said it would take a war against the Romans for the Messiah to come. Then there were those Priest’s and sadducees   who colluded with the Roman authorities and who really wanted the status quo so no Messiah thank you. When Peter makes his response he had not yet grasped what sort of Messiah Jesus was. Jesus was a very different Messiah. He said violence could never destroy violence. That no one was to be excluded. Those in authority needed to care for all not just themselves.   Hopefully as disciples our answer to the question   W...

In many places where I have lived and ministered I have encountered the Church of England's unconscious bias whereby they think they really are the church and often without knowing look down on other denominations. They don't say it but their sense of superiority comes across time and time again. For all the talk of working together with other denominations, the mask slips and entitlement rears its ugly head. I recently listened to the three episode series 'Church Going' by Revd Giles Fraser on radio 4. Though Giles makes reference to other traditions, including Methodism, he still delivered a very entitled "anglican approach' which left me with the impression that really the C of E is the Church. I am sure that was not his intention. Perhaps the series should have just said 'church going within the C of E'. Entering retirement as a Methodist Minister four yeas ago I found myself worshipping at a local Parish Church.  Finding the right  Christian commun...