Bethnal Green Mission Church

We often make the mistake of believing the parables were spoken for our benefit. This is a classic example - the story of a would-be king entrusting his servants with money while he goes away and then holding them to account for the return they produce. Are we the servants of King Jesus, tasked with yielding a return for the Kingdom of God and accountable when returns? Or does the historical context and Jesus' journey towards Jerusalem lead to a deeper understanding of why he told this parable and thus a more nuanced and complex application to us?

Jesus talks a lot about farming, sowing seeds and how the Kingdom of God can be compared to various agricultural settings and practices. His parable of the weeds takes us into some deep territory about the nature of our world, the evil growing within it and how the Kingdom of God has a strategy to address it. What is this plan, and how does it disturb us and our presumptions about evil and the nature of God's Kingdom?

A reflection on the complex experience of joy. Wondering how the neurology and psychology of joy alongside the artistic capturing of it helps us appreciate the theological perspective of Joy as a fruit of the Spirit. Drawing from recent developments scientific research and National Gallery curators' commentaries on Frank Auerbach's _Mornington Crescent_ and Van Gogh's _Sunflowers_.

Jesus was a master storyteller. Speaking in parables was second nature to him, in fact, we are told he taught nothing without a parable. But how did these strange, quirky, confusing, sometimes violent and judgemental stories and riddles function? What was the point of them? In this introduction, we explore their purpose and role in Jesus' life and mission and examine how they, far from being moral lessons or clever sermon illustrations, were more forceful, illusive and subversive than we have ever imagined. 

Continuing our art from the heart and fruits of the spirit series, this talk looks at self-control through two paintings: JMW Turner's painting “Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway” and Ben Hartley's, “Devon Lane, Westlake.”These paintings invite us to meditate on technology, development, infrastructure and housing and how these impact nature. We pause to consider how self-control in consumerism could help slow down climate change. The talk finished by looking at how we could bring new self-control practices into Lent.

We conclude our marathon series on desire by taking a look at four more habits of Cruciform Desire in the context of our communal life together. We examine further what place joy has in our life of desire and the role of spiritual disciplines in our Christ-like formation. 

This talk picks up the Fruit of the Spirit series, with kindness in focus. Kindness is considered through a contemporary cultural lens that explores a recent societal response of kindness in contrast to the apparent attack on kindness in the sociopolitical sphere. Nevertheless, it is argued that Jesus models another kind of kindness altogether, a revolutionary/cruciform and courageous kindness that transforms lives, identities and situations.

We are continuing to look at the shape of our desire with 4 more habits of cruciformity. We return to our age-old quest for the 'good life' and how we understood it from the creation narrative of Genesis 1&2 in the first few weeks of this series. How can we develop wisdom habits that are orientated around the Trailblazer of the Good Life, that True Human Jesus? This talk involves a middle section of recordings from people's response to a discussion question. 

This we will focus on the habits of Cruciform desire, which can be summoned up in the prayer, 'Your will be done'. But what does it mean to align our desires with God's? We explore 5 central habits which may help us orientate our lives towards the One who was ultimately attuned to the will of God. 

Art from the Heart is our new sermon series exploring the fruits of the spirit inspired by the online exhibition from the national gallery. In this talk, James kicks off our series looking at the particular fruit- Gentleness and looking at what this fruit can speak to in a divided and polarised world.

The Christian church celebrates Epiphany today, and specifically in the West, the journey of the Magi to Jesus. Many added layers to this famous story have obscured the power and complexity of Matthew's story-telling. We will explore some neglected understandings about the Magi and what the feast of Ephiphany can mean for us 2000 years later.  

What is a love that walks? In this sermon, James finishes off our 'Compendium' series reflecting on a quotation from Kosuke Koyama. 

Advent is the time of year when we celebrate and anticipate the birth of Jesus. Well, not quite. Many of our Christian and secular approaches to Advent have viewed it as an extension of the Christmas season of merry cheer and a countdown to the main event. But what if we have misunderstood the mood and movement of Advent completely? What if it is less about peace, joy, love and hope, but a far more uncomfortable and disruptive season? Where does the church find itself at Advent?

The quote from this talk comes from Dorothy Day - "I really only Love God as much as I Love the person I Love the Least". Starting with an overview of Dorothy's life, we then consider how the Bible describes the Love of God, and how that is seen tangibly by considering how Jesus treated one particular individual - the woman subject to bleeding. 

We continue examining Jesus' life to help us understand the world of desire using seven words beginning with 'S'. We seek here to discern the scandalous nature of God's desire and his solidarity with our unfulfilled longings, the subversive Gospel desire economy, and the tension between duty and desire seen in Jesus's person. How does being 'awed to heaven but rooted to earth' shape our life desires?

We know our natural human desires are tricky and sticky. So how do we know what is truly good for us in the struggle with our fleshly desires? In this seventh talk on desire, we hang our thoughts on eight words beginning with the letter 'S'. They point to someone beyond us but who has become us to show us how to live the ultimate Good Human life.

The 14th-century mystic, Julian of Norwich, is renowned for her hopeful vision of God, seen in her assuring declaration: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well". But what does this mean for our life with God in a very uncertain world which certainly doesn't look very 'well'? 

The human desire for pleasure is one of the most complex human urges and passions. Christianity has often struggled to come to terms with our natural and normal longing for pleasure and the consequences of living with post-Eden anxiety over our disorientated and disordered desires. What is the love relationship between our temporal pleasures and our longing for God? A look at Eros-love might help us see the pleasures of life and the pursuit of God in a new light.

Adam and Eve's trespass in Eden was seizing wisdom on their own terms. It was a self-determined wisdom and self-discovered wisdom. The ricochet of this was the reversal of good - their equilibrium and flourishing of their relationship was disordered and disorientated, as seen in Genesis 3.16-19. In this talk, we will consider the meaning of verse 16 in particular - "Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you". How has this been translated and interpreted, and what does it mean for gender relations, the impulse for rule and domination and the Christian understanding of power?

Reflections on the Human Experience. In her book, "This Here Flesh," writer Cole Arthur Riley states, "In lament, our task is never to convince someone of the brokenness of this world; it is to convince them of the world's worth in the first place. True lament is not born from that trite sentiment that the world is bad but rather from a deep conviction that it is worthy of goodness." This podcast seeks to consider some of the author's reflections on key themes from her personal stories, challenging us to dig deeply from our stories and biblical themes such as remembrance, memory and lament

The rich tale of the two trees in the Garden of Earthly Delights points to the choices and consequences of seeing, taking and eating what is desirable to look at. Humans require wisdom to be good stewards in the world and faithfully discern what is good and evil. So why were Adam and Eve warned not to eat from the very tree that would give them this? Why prohibit them from accessing wisdom? The answer to this question will give us insight into how our desires are manipulated and how the route to fulfilling them is not always as it seems. 

We have been exploring what is the specific vision of the good life that we desire. Genesis 1 and 2 point to a meaning of 'good' which is about order and harmony, multiplication and flourishing. In the garden of delights (Eden) there is a threat to this vision; an alternative route and telos, seen in the presence of the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil and that wily old snake. What danger do these represent to Adam and Eve and to the order and flourishing of our souls?

Asking what can be learned from  St. Catherine of Siena's words can, on the surface, seem like a trite meme on social media but in truth holds great depth and power coming as they do from a highly revered theologian who lived life in deep communion with God.  Reminiscent of passages of scripture, Colossians 3:2; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 2:9,  this quote and its context prompts questions like: How can we understand her concept of bravery in our lives today? How might we spread the light of our fire? How easy or hard is it for us to accept that in Christ we can do everything? If we are called to be in Christ, is it helpful to consider the weakness of Christ alongside the strength of his love? Who are you, who has God meant you to be and is there anything stopping the expression of that?

This is the second sermon in our mini WWMI series on Desire. James K. A. Smith believes that as teleological creatures, all humans have a specific vision of the good life, a picture of human flourishing. Our desires will focus on this goal. But what is the good life? What does 'good' mean, and how, as Christians, can we understand if our desires for the good life align with God's vision for human flourishing? This sermon takes us back to the creation narrative in Genesis and to the Garden of Eden, a place of good and desirable trees. 

In the first of our new Compendium series, James dives into the words of Evelyn Underhill. Drawing on natural theology, scripture and re-examining belief, he unpicks what she might have to say about the Christian life today.

WWMI returns for a mini-series on Desire. Augustine said, "Our life is a gymnasium of desire", that is, as humans we exist by desire. But how are these desires formed and curated in us and what do they  tell us about our human identity, God and our spiritual formation? In a world where desire feeds the economic system of capitalism and consumption, who or what is desiring us? For the next 5 weeks we will explore these questions along with many others. 

The focus of this talk is Psalm 84, with an emphasis on viewing it from a New Testament perspective. Luke records that the resurrected Jesus declared to his disciples "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms". With this in mind, we considered how this  Psalm prophetically looks forward  to what the New Testament reveals about Jesus, and how applying this may strengthen us in our spiritual pilgrimage"

In this talk we consider the meaning we can draw from the metaphor of the church as the bride of Christ. What does this image tell us about the identity of the church, its relationship with Christ, and its role in the world today?

In this last talk on John 9 we explore, in scenes 4-6, the further reaction to the man's healing and testimony by his parents and the religious authorities. Will anybody choose to be his advocate and will his voice be finally heard? What do these scenes say about powerful, 'able-bodied' domination systems that get challenged and disrupted by the marginalised and disbelieved? What irony is employed by John that is pertinent to our understanding of disability theology?

This is the second part of our reflection on the encounter of a blind man with Jesus through the lens of disability. John 9 is a public trial of disability and ability, with several 'stakeholders' interacting with the man and Jesus over 6 scenes. The man has been given his sight by Jesus and this attracts debate and questioning from neighbours and religious authorities (v.8-17). What issues arise that may resonate with those who experience disability and what can able-bodied people learn from man's experience?

The early followers of Christ referred to themselves as followers of the Way. The Way is how Jesus referred to himself, a phrase taken up by the first-century church in the book of Acts. But what does this Way look like and what does going this Way entail for the church today?

How the message of 1 Peter weaves together key aspects of Israel's relationship with God with the person of Jesus and those who believe in him. How can the separate roles of Royalty and Priesthood make sense together? Who is Melchizedek? What might it look like for us to inhabit this priestly role? What are these acceptable spiritual sacrifices we are meant to offer?

In our quest to learn about theology from the margins, we give our attention to a story in John 9 and read it from the perspective of disability. What can able-bodied people learn from reading the bible with a new lens? In this first part, we will examine Jesus' response to the disciples' curiosity about the link between the man's blindness and sin. Was the man born blind so that God could perform a miracle of healing?

Within the diverse and creative world of biblical interpretation, it's possible to encounter scripture freshly and dynamically which helps to bring new understanding. This talk takes a second post-colonial look at Jesus' encounter with a 'foreign legion' that had possessed and subjugated a man. How does it speak to us about how imperial power has occupied, dominated and diminished people and nations? What does it say to us, our privilege and power, and our complicity in the system and spirit of empire?

What place links the New Testament events of Passover with Pentecost? Elisha with Peter, Mary, mother of Mark with Jesus? It is the Upper Room. The Upper Room is synonymous with prayer and the preparation for an encounter with God. This physically spacious dwelling place becomes the setting for Jesus to help the disciples encounter and embody the person of God - a God who has many rooms. How is this worked out in Pentecost and the story of the church in Acts and what kind of Christianity has many rooms?

"This Thing Called Church" talk focuses on the most used illustration in the New Testament - The Body of Christ". The passage is from Paul's letter to the Church in Rome and explores how the metaphor gives insight as to how the Church should function, including shared insights from the whole congregation. 

The challenge of any reading of the Bible is that we all come to the text as interpreters with different lenses. Peter Enns said, "All theology has an adjective" - our theology and interpretation are pre-fixed with a setting, a world-view and a bias. How can we prevent letting our filter become the dominant one? How can the diverse experiences of other people help us to encounter the Bible more richly and deeply? We will start using the lens of post-colonialism, at the story of Jesus' encounter with a 'legion of unclean spirits' in Mark 5 and allow each other to imagine and encounter the text through a new and fresh lens. 

What is mission? What is our place in the story of God? At the start of our new series, This Thing Called Church, James talks about the mission of God and how we are invited into the story of the restoration of all things.

We conclude our mini-series with a dive into some ancient habits and postures of prayer which are orientated toward being attentive to the sacred wonder in the ordinary and the everyday. We return to Nick Cave for some helpful examples and perhaps a surprising form of music as a metaphor of prayer.

Continuing our series The Christian Life in Paradox, this talk explores, in a very personal way, living with hope and disappointment alongside each other and the implications for our faith journey. Trigger warning: this talk covers issues of grief, illness, loss and mental health challenges and is emotionally raw in places. If you are impacted by any of the themes in this talk, the leadership team of BGMC would be happy to talk to you further.

What does God's presence and personhood in the world look like? That is the question we have been grappling with. We are seeking to be re-enchanted by the sacred divine presence - to imagine where and how God is. But what habits do we need to adopt and what posture do we need to make? Perhaps our language and our sight have been deficient? What can the experience of Jacob and Moses offer as a way forward to being more intentionally attentive to sacred meaning in the world?

The empty tomb of Jesus offered very little comfort or consolation to the disciples when they first encountered it. It was Mary Magdalene who refused to accept what she saw that first Easter morning. In this brief talk, we will reflect on how Mary's posture enabled her to encounter the risen Jesus which gives us an insight into what we need to do the fathom the depths of this new reality. 

The Christian life is a paradox. Today we explore the metaphors and practice of fasting and feasting and how they can be understood in the Christian life. How do these binary concepts exist in faith and how can we take them seriously as we follow Jesus?

How does God work in the world in response to prayer? That is the question we are grappling with in this mini-series of WWMI. Today, we get deep into the weeds about God's 'all-knowingness' - what is the 'all' that God knows and what type of future does God know? What are the consequences for prayer? Again, we apply the 'logic of love' to our understanding of these questions and explore how this relates to our grasp of what is certain and what is possible

Looking at examples of the lived experience of the rest and wrestling of faith, this talk explores attitudes towards both experiences and how they can hold together in the paradoxical dance that is faith.

We have been using the phrase, 'The Logic of Love' to describe God's actions in the world and the role of prayer to bring about his will. Love 'pre-conditions' God's power and knowledge. Love is the only form of God's power. If love is first in God's nature, then his will and actions in the world will allow and consent to creaturely freedom. God is subject to the variables and 'say-so's' in a creation made in love and by love. How then does God work and why is the variable of prayer so important?

Why do we pray? How does God intervene in our lives and world? If we want to have confidence in prayer and in a God who works in the world, we need to address these questions. To gain a glimpse into the possibilities that exist in prayer, we introduce here two concepts that will define our response: the nature of God and the type of world that we live in. In the disenchanted culture of our predominantly scientific, secular and sceptical Western world, how can the Logic of Love help us navigate challenging questions?

This sermon focuses its attention on the paradox of us being wise by being fools. Taking texts from 1 Corinthians 1,2 and 3, it reflects on the questionable wisdom of the Corinthian church in following different leaders, notes the contrasts between God's wisdom in Christ and human wisdom through the Word, Christ who became a "Fool" and gives examples of Holy fools and the role of fools in royal courts as helpful aids.

The Christian life is truth in paradox - a faith which can seem nonsensical and confusing, but at the same time one which reveals deep spiritual truths. We will explore some common cultural examples of paradox and then consider one given to us by Jesus - "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave", taken from Matthew's gospel chapters 19, 20.

Jesus' testing and temptation in the wilderness represent an assault on his identity and calling. By placing this event at the start of Jesus' career and after his baptism, Matthew anticipates the battle and combat with evil forces and voices that will define Jesus' mission. This event is rich in Old Testament allusions and meaning - what does it say about Jesus' identity and his relationship with his Father and what echoes are there for us to learn from?