Word on Wednesday with John Mason
by John Mason: Speaker and writer. President of the Anglican Connection; Commissary to the Anglican Arc
The weekly podcast is a Mid-week Bible Reflection that includes Prayers drawn from an Anglican Prayer Book, Bible Readings (typically from the New Revised Standard Version), and a Bible Reflection given by an ordained minister of the Church. Each podcast session is introduced and closed with Music (and may occasionally include a song).
Episodes
-
Salt for a Wounded World
Our world is one of confusion and noise, anger, division and conflict - very much a wounded world. People who are honorable and dependable are sometimes called 'the salt of the earth'. Interestingly, the expression comes from Jesus's timeless words in his Sermon on the Mount, to all who would...
-
Persecution for Righteousness
In his book, Have No Fear, Dr John Lennox comments, "The pressure to silence the public witness of Christians ... is very real. As a result, many Christians have been effectively silenced. They may well continue to go to church but their witness has long ceased because of fear and pressure.…
more -
Blessed Are The Peacemakers ...
Peace is increasingly in short supply in the secularized, divided democracies of the West. Angry mobs constantly make their presence felt on city streets - as we're currently seeing in France. So what does Jesus mean when he says in his seventh Beatitude: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they…
more -
The Pure in Heart ...
With the rejection in the Western world of the notion of a Creator God, the unifying principle of past generations is being lost. Find out more in this Reflection on Jesus's sixth Beatitude, Blessed are the pure in heart, in Matthew chapter 5.
-
Mercy
Dr Greg Sheridan, in his book God Is Good For You observes "... Christianity has been marginalised in the popular culture in the West ..." He further comments, "... The primary challenge is not intellectual but cultural." Find out more in this podcast on Jesus' fifth Beatitude, "Blessed are the...
-
Hunger and Thirst - for Righteousness
Many people today grieve over the extremes of political divisions in a world that has turned away from God. The bitter hatred and vitriol stand in stark contrast to the words and actions of Jesus Christ, who came to earth to bring us to God. In his fourth Beatitude, recorded in Matthew chapter 5...
-
Meek!
In his third Beatitude, Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth". Today we don't like to think of being meek because it signifies weakness. Find out in this podcast what Jesus means .
-
Tears
The world loves to laugh. Comedians will always have an audience. People don't like kill-joys who ruin the party. Yet Jesus says, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matt. 5:4). Find out the meaning of Jesus' words in this week's podcast.
-
Blessing
Happiness is something we long for. Yet happiness is elusive and, at best, momentary. Where then can we find the riches of a lasting experience that satisfies the depths of our souls? Find out more in this podcast, where we turn to the first of Jesus's Beatitudes found in Matthew chapter 5, verse 3.
-
9/11 Twenty Five Years On
Twenty five years ago we awoke to a morning of clear blue skies and a sparkling New York Harbor. But it was not to last. Find out more in this podcast.
-
A Church Anniversary in New York City
Last weekend, Emmanuel Anglican Church New York City celebrated the 10th anniversary of its formation and Dr Jim Salladin's ministry there. It is a wonderful tribute that the church has not only developed and grown over the years, but also testifies to the goodness and loving kindness of the…
more -
Spiritual Struggle
In his Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis says that there are two equal and opposite errors that people fall into regarding the dark powers. One mistake is to disbelieve in their existence: the other is to believe in them to excess. Find out more in this podcast.
-
Vital Relationships
Every day we make decisions. It's part of being human. While many decisions are simply a matter of personal preference, some of our decisions carry with them a sense of obligation - a sense of duty. But such obligations need to be awakened. Find out more in this week's podcast.
-
Lights In The World
In What Are People For? an essay in his 2002 The Art of the Commonplace, Wendell Berry wrote: "Marriage, in what is evidently its most popular version, is now on the one hand an intimate 'relationship' involving (ideally) two successful careerists in the same bed, and on the other hand a sort of...
-
Seize the Day
In a world where voices in the media and social media criticizing Christianity have morphed from constructive conversation into emotive smearing, our lifestyle and our attitudes will often have greater impact than what we say. Paul's words in Ephesians chapter 5 verses 1 and 2 are key to the life...
-
Spiritual Forgetfulness
In his book Christians: The Urgent Case for Jesus in Our World (2021), Dr Greg Sheridan, an Australian journalist and writer, comments: "In the West ... religious belief has been in serious decline in recent years. The loss of faith is part of a broad movement in the culture. It is also partly…
more -
Essential for Growth
Commenting on how we understand Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 verses 25-37, Rebecca McLaughlin writes: We hear a call to care for strangers in need. But Jesus's first audience heard more. They heard a story of love across racial, religious, and political difference, in...
-
Genuine Community
Cell phones have given us an extraordinary capacity for connectivity. But does this actually lead to community? Created in the image of God, we are designed for meaningful relationships. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church develops God's expectations for this new community of people. Find...
-
The Transformation We Need
How can we weather the challenges of our divided and uncertain world? In Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14 through 21, we are given a glimpse of Paul at prayer. 'I kneel before the Father', he begins, 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.' Find out more in this week's podcast.
-
Created Equal ...
The 250th anniversary of American Independence brings to mind a key statement in the Declaration: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal". This is a very Christian idea. We often forget that the opening chapter of the Bible describes humanity as being created in...
-
God Whose Nature is to Show Mercy
Seven hundred years ago, Dante recognized that the human propensity to lie is our greatest flaw. Two thousand years ago, Paul the Apostle wrote in Ephesians chapter 2 of our flawed human nature. Find out more in this podcast.
-
Praying for Enlightened Hearts
AA Milne's Christopher Robin's prayer, "Little boy kneels at the foot of his bed ..." has touched the hearts of millions. The poem is a picture of childhood innocence, a mixture of God language and the distractions of inner thoughts. For adults it raises questions about prayer. Is it something we...
-
God's Cosmic Plan
Over the northern summer, the Word on Wednesday will offer a series of reflections on The Letter to the Ephesians. The letter plumbs the depths of biblical Christianity, opening up the riches of God that shape the mind and warm the heart. It was written to be read in churches in the region of...
-
The Trinity - The God Who is Love
God is love. Yet how often is this glibly said - without giving thought to the implications? For God to love, he must have someone else to love throughout eternity. The Old Testament consistently says there is only one God. Yet there are constant reference to the Spirit of the Lord. In the New...
-
God's Breath
Over the last twenty years or so God's people have been increasingly put on the defensive about their faith. In a climate where people of faith are dismissed as intellectually inept, many are fearful of speaking up about what they believe. This podcast encourages us from Jesus's words in John...
-
God's Glory
Why don't we pray more consistently than we do? And how often when we do pray, do we look to the model prayers we find in the Bible - and not least from the lips of Jesus? Dr J.I. Packer once commented, "I believe that prayer is the measure of God's people, spiritually, in a way that nothing else...
-
Never Alone!
The loss of someone deeply loved awakens a profound anguish and grief within us. Even some time after a loved one has gone from us, we can unexpectedly find ourselves tearing up. In the course of his last evening with his close followers, Jesus told them he was going away and that they could not...
-
Marvellous Things
Glen Scrivener's book The Air We Breathe (2022), compellingly explores ways Christianity has shaped the moral values of the West. The book alerts us afresh to the question of God and, if he exists, what he is like. History suggests that the idea of God is embedded in every culture that has…
more -
Shepherd
Frederick Buechner, American pastor and theologian, in The Magnificent Defeat, commented: "We all want to be certain, we all want proof, but the kind of proof we tend to want - scientifically and philosophically demonstrable proof that would silence all doubts once and for all - would not in the...
-
Jesus' Resurrection - Next Steps
The decline of Christianity in the US - and in the West generally - recent decades seems to have slowed, if not leveled off. Indeed, there are signs it is slowly growing again, especially a amongst 18-24 year olds. How important it is that those of us who are professing Christians are praying for...
-
He Is Risen Indeed. Hallelujah!
The decline of Christianity in the US - and in the West generally - in recent decades seems to have slowed, if not leveled off. Indeed there are signs it is slowly growing again, especially amongst 18-24 year olds. How important it is that those of us who are professing Christians are praying for...
-
Resurrection - The Greatest Design
In today's world, influential voices sometimes angrily dismiss Jesus's bodily resurrection. But when we consider the evidence, it becomes clear that his resurrection didn't occur because of some natural mechanism. It happened because the creator God chose to intervene. Find out more in this podcast.
-
Why The Cross?
Easter Day that we celebrate this Sunday, is a gala day as we remember Jesus's resurrection from the dead. His resurrection underscores the validity of the Christian faith. Without it, we are lost.
-
The Cross
Easter Day that we celebrate this Sunday, is a gala day as we remember Jesus' resurrection from the dead. His resurrection underscores the validity of the Christian faith. Without it, we are lost.
-
God So Loved The World ...
Today, God is not so much dead as cancelled. He is not to be spoken about. If he does exist, there's nothing good to say about him: he is grim and uncaring. How different this is from what the Bible actually says about God. Consider the most well-known words in the Bible: For God so loved the…
more -
The Hope of Glory ...?
Aspects of Christianity can seem far-fetched to our 21st century minds. But before dismissing the supernatural events in the Bible, listen to this podcast which focuses on Jesus' Transfiguration.
-
Heavenly Treasure
At a time of economic challenges and inflation, it is easy to be consumed with anxiety about money and possessions. As Jesus' Sermon on the Mount moves on, he exhorts us to view life and the material world from a bigger perspective. Find out from this podcast what Jesus has to say about money and...
-
Self-Deception
Human relationships on the personal and international level must rate as the greatest challenge for the world's future. The season of Lent focuses on the themes of repentance and God's forgiveness, spiritual renewal and growth through Bible reading and prayer. Find out more in this podcast.
-
Real Freedom
Many people reckon real freedom is the ability to do whatever you want without external restraints. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out the pattern for living for his people, opening up the real meaning of love for God in loving our neighbor. Find out from this podcast how Jesus frames...
-
Ash Wednesday Reflection
As Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, this podcast reflects on God's Word, focusing on Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 through 19. In the face of a troubled and conflicted world, Paul the Apostle exhorts us to stand firm in the faith, grounded in truth, living a life of integrity and trusting...
-
A New Year - Jesus' Beatitudes
Great leaders are remembered for their speeches as well as their accomplishments. This week we turn to the introduction of Jesus' memorable Sermon on the Mount which begins with his Beatitudes. We find the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of St Matthew, chapter 5 verses 1 through 12.
-
Living As Salt and Light
Loud voices today insist that there is no God, leaving us adrift on the ocean of life without an agreed moral compass. This podcast considers the implications of Jesus' timeless words to all his followers, "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world".
-
Wisdom We Need - About Life
The wisdom books stand apart from the main narrative of the Bible, asking questions about our experiences of life. Job asks 'How do we make sense of suffering, especially the suffering of the seemingly innocent?' The Song of Songs explores God's gift of the joys of love and sex. Proverbs provides…
more -
Wisdom We Need - About Time
Another year has passed, and now another has begun. With the rapid and seemingly endless passing of the years and seasons, and with our experiences of life, how do we make sense of it all? Ecclesiastes chapter 3 provides answers and encouragment.
-
Wisdom - 2026
Articles over Christmas and the New Year often call for a reawakening of the meaning and application of the true Christmas story. However, driven by the trickle-down effect of writers who say that God is dead, our culture tells us that the Bible is fanciful andfictitious. But this conflicts with...
-
Wisdom We Need - Is It All Vanity?
Most people who reflect on life ask themselves, at some stage: 'What's it all about?' The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the wisdom books of the bible. In the opening verses of the book, the writer asks, Vanity of vanities ... vanity of vanities! All is vanity. The podcast reflects on the opening...
-
Wisdom - 2026
Articles over Christmas and the New Year often call for a reawakening of the meaning and application of the true Christmas story. However, driven by the trickle-down effect of writers who say that God is dead, our culture tells us that the Bible is fanciful and fictitious. But this conflicts with...
-
New Year Hope
Catastrophic events such as occurred at Bondi in Sydney, challenge us to see life with new eyes. Many are now looking for leaders to chart a course to preserve life and secure livelihoods. Isaiah wrote about a special leader whom God would raise up. Find out more in this podcast.
-
Christmas Hope
Why is it that in this age of so much scientific and technical achievement, appalling and deadly terrorist attacks, such as the one at Bondi against Jewish people last Sunday, December 14, occur? Clearly humanity has a problem. Why then, if there is a Creator God, doesn't He do something to clean...
-
Tragedy and Suffering
Last Sunday afternoon, at least fifteen Jewish people were killed by gunmen and some twenty nine seriously injured at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, Sydney. In a world that is divided, where anger and hatred can dominate, is there anywhere we can find comfort and hope?
About this show
The weekly podcast is a Mid-week Bible Reflection that includes Prayers drawn from an Anglican Prayer Book, Bible Readings (typically from the New Revised Standard Version), and a Bible Reflection given by an ordained minister of the Church. Each podcast session is introduced and closed with Music (and may occasionally include a song).
Hosted by
John Mason: Speaker and writer. President of the Anglican Connection; Commissary to the Anglican Arc
Categories