Anchored: Teaching from St Martin’s Church

  Read the passage here Photo by Aamir Suhail on Unsplash John 3 opens with an extraordinary late‑night conversation between Jesus and a man called Nicodemus. Many of us know the famous phrase “born again,” but the depth of this passage is often missed. When we slow down and walk through it, we discover a powerful invitation — one that still speaks clearly into our world today. Nicodemus is introduced as a member of the Sanhedrin, one of the nation’s senior religious leaders. Highly trained, respected, trusted. John also tells us he is a Pharisee, part of a strict and disciplined group devoted to interpreting and obeying the law found in the first five books of the Old Testament. In other words, Nicodemus is someone who should understand what God is doing. Yet Jesus will soon reveal that despite all his knowledge, he has missed the heart of it. And notice when Nicodemus comes. John says it is “at night.” This isn’t just a detail about the time of day. It’s a symbol. Nicodemus c...

  Read Psalm 37 here   Have you ever seen someone rise to prominence—someone clearly walking far from the Lord—and then, a few years later, found that their influence had vanished, and their name had been forgotten?  Psalm 37 was written by King David later in his life, as he looks back and reflects on his life. He remembers the people who have risen and disappeared brining conflict, betrayal, division: but he also remembers   the steadfast faithfulness of Yahweh, The Lord.   Our psalm is not lament, but rather it is a meditation on how to live faithfully in a world where wickedness often seems to dominate. It is a guide for learning how to walk with Yahweh when unrighteousness appears to have the upper hand. Psalm 37 is often described as a wisdom psalm—a bridge between the prayers and praises we are more familiar with in the Psalms and the practical instruction of the book of Proverbs, and many verses will feel as if they have been lifted straight fr...

Read the passage here John’s Gospel opens with one of the most profound passages in Scripture — the Prologue — which sets out the central themes that shape much of John:  • Incarnation, • light and darkness,  • children of God,  • grace and truth.  Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, John writes as a direct eyewitness, offering a front row account of Jesus’ identity and mission.  Incarnation- His opening words, “In the beginning was the Word”, would have stunned both Greek and Jewish readers.  For Greeks, the Logos was the rational principle behind the universe; for Jews, “the Word” recalled God speaking creation into being. John makes an astonishing claim: “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John identifies Jesus as the eternal Word — uncreated, present before all things, and himself fully God. This truth anchors the Gospel and explains Jesus’ repeated “I Am” statements, echoing the divine name revealed to Moses. Jesus is not merely a teacher o...

Follow the reading here This is another of the psalms written by David, and unusually for this group of psalms, we are not able to link it to any specific event or occasion. At first glance, it can almost appear as if its two parts are separate psalms that have somehow been joined together. But as we look deeper, we can see how both parts fit together as two contrasting sides of the same picture — like a skilful painter creating a contrast between the glories of a wonderful sunrise and the darkness of night. As we read this psalm, we may notice the similarity between the contrasts of the wicked and the righteous and the pattern we see in Psalm 1. One way to read this psalm is to view it as a journey in five steps: 1.   V 1–4: What it is like for those who have no fear of God. 2.   V 5–9: The amazing, incredible love of Yahweh. 3.   V   7–9: What it is like for those who live under the shadow of Yahweh’s wings. 4.   V 10–11: Asking the One who loves u...