As we come together in different ways in worship this weekend, being challenged by different scriptures, we are also united in the vision that we are called as a church to be places that welcome all nations,

By all means, let’s at times get carried away with stirring emotions - provided we also have the wisdom, as the crowds disperse and the applause diminishes, to recall what is resiliently true: both God’s love for us, and our immeasurable worth.

These words have encouraged and nurtured me for many years, and they felt especially significant throughout my ordination weekend. Again and again, the same message seemed to emerge in different ways: