Simon Cross
Simon the is Chair of PCN Britain
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Articles by Simon Cross
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #70
Luke 9:51-62 - On the road again
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #69
Luke 8:26–39 This one's a postcolonial belter
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #68
John 16:12-15 - Trinity Sunday
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #67
John 14:8-17, (25-27) Pentecost
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #66
John 17: 20-26 - what's all this 'oneness' stuff?
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #65
John 5: 1-9 The healing at Bethesda
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #64
John 13: 31-35 Love one another
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #63
John 10: 22-30 - What's life got to do with it?
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #62
Luke 24:1-12: The empty tomb
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #61
Luke 19:28-40 Even Luke can't disguise the skulduggery and theatrics as Jesus pulls an audacious move; (and what 'the stones' really refers to).
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #60
John 12:1-8 John's 'spicy' rewrite of the anointing at Bethany
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #59
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32: The prodigal dad
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #58
Luke 13:1-9: The hidden voice of opposition
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #57
Luke 13:31-35 Jesus gets all theo-political in Luke's story of foxes and chickens
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #56
Luke 4: 1-13 Lent begins with a retelling of the old temptation story
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #55
Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a) Luke's Transfiguration Story
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #54
Luke 6: 27 - 38 The Axial Ethic
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #53
Luke 6: 17-22 Blessings and woes
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #52
Luke 5:1-11 The miraculous catch (this is where the trouble really starts)
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #51
Luke 4:21-30 Jesus' first execution
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #50
Luke 4: 14 - 21 Jesus' first sermon
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #49
John 2: 1-11 The wedding at Cana
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #48
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Baptisms and big main character energy
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #47
Luke 3: 7-18 A tale of two Johns
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #46
Luke 1:68-79 - how to re-use old material
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #45
Luke 21:25-36 Beginning with the end of the world
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #44
John 18:33-37 'Jesus as the ideal Caesar'
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #43
Mark 13: 1-8
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #42
Mark 12:38-44: Widows might just want to rise up and overthrow the system
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #41 (Halloween spooky special!)
John 11:32-44: Resurrecting zombie institutions
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #40
Mark 10: 46-52 Ways of 'seeing' Blind Bartimaeus
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #39
Mark 10:35-45 - Of slaves and emperors
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #38
Mark 10:17-31: Never mind the camels, here's the household revolution
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #37
Mark 10: 2-16 Jesus was creating a new system in the shell of the old
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #36
Mark 9:38-50: "If your eye offends you..." Marginalisation and the 'trap' of social status
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #35
Mark 9:30-37: Where Jesus flips the gender script on leadership and greatness
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #34
Mark 8:27-38: The turning point of the whole gospel
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #33
Mark 7:24-37: Reading the story of the Syrophoenician Woman with Strain theory
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #32
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 - Who's unclean anyway?
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #31
John 6:56-69: Who cares about popularity anyway?
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #30
John 6:51-58 - eating and drinking
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #29
John 6:35, 41-51: The bread of life - theme and variations
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #28
John 6:24-35 Bread of heaven
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #27
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Messing about in boats
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #26
Mark 6:14-29 - Enter the villain
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #25
Mark 6: 1-13 - The rejection at Nazareth
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #24
Mark 5: 21-43 - death and the daughters
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #23
Mark 4:35-41: Storms and stones
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #22
Mark 4:26-34 Mustard seeds, birds, and all that.
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #21
Mark 3:20-35 - Resisting violence while denying shame and honour
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #20
Mark 2:23-3:6 Keep the Sabbath special?
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #19
Luke 1:39-57: songs of resistant femininity
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #18
John 3:1-17 - Trinity Sunday
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #17
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Pentecost
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #16
Luke 24: 44-53 An opened mind
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #15
John 15: 9-17 All you need is love
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #14
John 15:1-8 I heard it on the grapevine
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #13
John 10: 11-18 What's so good about shepherds?
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #12
Luke 24:36-48 Post resurrection appearances
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #11
John 20:19-31 The trouble with doubting Thomas
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #10
Mark 16: 1-8 Easter Sunday
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #9
Mark 11: 1-11 – Palm Sunday
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #8
John 12:20-33
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #7
John 3: 14-21
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #6
John 2: 13-22
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #5
Mark 8: 31-38
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #4
Mark 1:9-15 (The baptism of Jesus)
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #3
Mark 9: 2-9 (The transfiguration)
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #2
Luke 2: 22-40
Progressive reflections on the lectionary #1
Mark 1: 21-28
Honesty
Veteran author and evangelical stalwart Adrian Plass was in confessional mood when I interviewed him for the most recent edition of Progressive Voices. “Finally, at this stage in my life, I’m able to tell the truth about what I believe, and what I don’t believe in, and how I feel about God and, and all the other stuff...” He confided. Adding, “I told a lot of lies when I was younger…”
Together in Love and Faith
Chair of PCN Britain, Simon Cross reflects on the Bishop of Oxford's support for same-sex marriage.
Communion
I concluded a research project recently, part of which involved me listening to people who are involved in community action of one sort or another. Some support refugees, others work with the homeless, some run community football or youth clubs, and one simply goes walking with people. They are all working to make the world a better place to live in.