Articles

Bitter, Grumpy and Doubtful?

“as on that day at Meribah, as at Massah in the wilderness” The story of Meribah and Massah is told in Exodus 17.1-7.  It is the story of the water which flows from the Rock.  One of the things which binds the two halves of Psalm 95…

Listening and the conversion of St Paul

Five years ago today, on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, I was consecrated Bishop of Sheffield.  It was on a freezing cold Sunday morning in York Minster with over 2,000 people present in that great church from all over the Diocese…

Uncomfortable words

“Harden not your hearts” The Psalm now commends to us something we need to avoid if we are to hear God’s voice today as we attend to scripture in private prayer and public worship.  Something more than stillness and attention is required. We…

The Voice

Today if you will listen to his voice This final part of the psalm presumes an ongoing conversation between the LORD and his people, between the LORD and each person who will hear him.  This is the conversation which began in the story…

God speaks

Today if you will listen to his voice We will look tomorrow at what it means to listen. But today we need to pause and think about the clearest and most profound truth which underlies these words: the presumption on which they are based. The…

Today if you will listen to his voice

Today if you will listen to his voice At the end of verse 7, Psalm 95 changes gear[1].  The final section of the psalm makes it unique in the psalter.  95.1-7a is a beautiful hymn of praise but like many others in the Psalms (see Psalm…

Guiding and providing

“the sheep of his hand” The image which lies beneath the verse 8 is the same image as Psalm 23: The LORDis my Shepherd.  It is an image associated with the story of the Exodus.  God leads his people out of slavery to freedom in the…

Remembering the church we are part of

“…and we are the people of his pasture” Remembering that we are the people of God is part of our summons to joy.  It is not only about looking back to the past.  We are also calling to mind the present day.  We bring into our minds…

God’s own people

“For he is our God” What does it mean to declare in the midst of worship that “he is our God and we are his people”? Those who prayed the psalms in the Temple and in their private prayers in ancient Israel and those who pray the…