by Rev. Dr John Evans
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20
One of the first questions we ask when we meet someone is – where do you come from; where is home? Are you new here; where do you come from?
Place is important. We can make connections with someone because we might know that place, or someone else from that place. Of course place is not everything – but it is an important part of our identity. It tells us and others something. If I were to ask the question, perhaps an odd question, where does the church, the Christian church come from come; where was it founded? What would you answer? You might say Jerusalem – because of the story of Pentecost or where the rest of the Easter action took place. You might say Nazareth in Galilee, where Jesus began his public ministry and where he gave the quote from Isaiah and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And these would be good answers.
You might, however, say Caesarea Philippi – and that also would be a good answer. In Caesarea Philippi Jesus asks his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is? And who do you say I am?’ Peter replies,
“You are the Messiah, the Christ – the Son of the …
You may be aware that Ethel’s son-in-law Rev. David Howie is living in a village in Zambia this year. It’s a place called Mwandi, featured in the documentary Seven Days which chronicles the work of an ecumenical project supporting hundreds of ‘AIDS orphans’ and other vulnerable children in the area.
