Preaching on the familiar
I find myself this morning gearing up for another sermon in a series on Jesus’ instructions to his followers. These ‘dominical instructions’ include everything from “ask, seek, knock” to “love your enemies”. Today it is the turn of “love each other” – an instruction specifically given to the disciples. How ever do you plumb the depths of such familiar words?
Sometimes the secret is to show them in a different context, or to examine them from a different angle, thereby shedding a different light upon them. Today I shall use the story of an argument, a pagan emperor, a trip to the florist and an encounter with a physiotherapist to do just that. More details of those to follow.
In the meantime, though, try watching the video below. For many the words will be very familiar, and I love the sequence shot in Heathrow Airport which usually accompanies them. However, Annalise Brady’s delightful animation creates just enough dissonance with the familiar combination of word and image to make you think…