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Words From the Middle

At the intersection of Sacred and Profane

2019/10/06 By Barry Leave a Comment

Not ashamed

Shame. Embarrassment. These are not words we like applied to us. I have never met anyone who wants to feel ashamed. I have met many people who have gone to the most extraordinary lengths to avoid it. Paul in his second letter to Timothy¹ writes to say “Do not be ashamed” (2 Timothy 1:8a NRSV). […]

Filed Under: Pentecost, Preaching, Sunday, Year C Tagged With: ashamed, love, Paul, power, preaching, self-discipline, shame, timid, timidity, Timothy

2019/09/29 By Barry Leave a Comment

Contentment and giving

 Contentment is a tricky word. For some people, the connotations of contentment include a fatalistic “settling” for what is and giving up on anything else or anything better. I hasten to point out, this is not what is meant by contentment, especially not when Paul uses it in 2 Timothy. Contentment isn’t settling for what […]

Filed Under: Pentecost, Preaching, Sunday, Year C Tagged With: contentment, enough, giving, Paul, preaching, Presbyterians Sharing, Timothy

2016/10/02 By Barry Leave a Comment

Some things only seem easy

Faith. One of those words that we all know the meaning of perfectly well but find very difficult to define. In today’s Lectionary readings we have several references to faith: “the righteous live by their faith” Habakkuk 2:4, “I am reminded of your sincere faith” 2 Timothy 1:5, “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase […]

Filed Under: Pentecost, Preaching, Sunday, Year C Tagged With: faith, Habakkuk, mustard see, Paul, Pentecost 20, preaching, Timothy, tradition

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