"This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me... This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11. 24-5 Being a fifth Sunday in the month, we shall be celebrating Communion at our church gathering today: English in the morning, Gaelic in the afternoon. Believers will find nourishment for their souls in the timeless memorial of Jesus' death for our sins, in the special awareness of his presence

"... nor the moon by night." Psalm 121.6 This enigmatic phrase, which has been adopted as the title of a song, a film, a book and, for all I know, a poem as well, completes the line which begins: "The sun shall not smite thee by day..." But what does it mean? In the Middle Eastern context to which the Psalms belong, the danger of over-exposure to the sun is obvious - but the moon by night? Various suggestions appear in the commentaries, such as the power of the moon to induce

"You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour." Exodus 20.17 With the possible exception of the 5th Commandment (Honour your parents), this 10th Commandment is unique in that it has to do with our attitude rather than our behaviour. In its injunction to purge our feelings towards what belongs to our neighbour we see the foundation of Jesus' mor

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour." Exodus 20.16 Interesting that deliberately misrepresenting another person should have been such a concern back then as to have made it into the most influential and ancient moral code. It just goes to show the enduring and deep nature of our inclination to sinfulness. Why would a person want to diminish someone they live close to? It makes no sense until we start thinking of our own neighbours - and then it makes pe

"You shall not steal." Exodus 20.15 A cynic might say that stealing is the new killing. It sometimes seems like, if you're well connected enough you can "get away with murder" but, in our litigious age, woe betide the one who tries to earn a quick buck by pinching someone else's intellectual property: they will be mincemeat for the dogs of law! But then what about the thousands of helpless young children whose childhood is stolen by poverty, forced labour, sexual exploitation

"You shall not commit adultery." Exodus 20.14 The 7th Commandment exists to protect the marriage bond, which provides the healthiest context for enjoying intimacy and rearing a family. As such, marriage is the bedrock of society and human happiness. To threaten such equilibrium is a sin - and not just against those involved. The Bible is clear that all sin is ultimately offensive to God, who makes the rules - for the flourishing of his creation. It is a sobering thought that,

"You shall not murder." Exodus 20.13 The Hebrew verb used here makes it clear that the prohibition is against the premeditated and deliberate killing of one person by another, as distinct from accidental death and the more indiscriminate killing caused by war. Jesus expands the terse command in Matthew 5. 21-26, where he reveals that murder has roots. It begins when a person nurses ill feelings against another. These ill feelings do not have to result in murder but murder is

"Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Exodus 20.12 The first 4 of the 10 Commandments focus on our relationship to God; the latter 6 on our relationships with one another. St Paul referred to the 5th Commandment - "Honour your father and mother" - as the first "with a promise" (Ephesians 6.2) because it continues: ".. so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Of course that

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20.3 The first commandment! Some might argue that it betrays Yahweh's tyranny, even insecurity. But we wouldn't say that in the context of marriage, would we? We expect the same mutual exclusivity: no other man, no other woman, only you. Yet the fact is that the Bible does not invite us to understand God's exclusive claim on our loyalty as illustrated by marriage. It's the other way around: marriage is to be a reflection of the

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Exodus 20.7 What's the problem? People do it all the time. Even religious people... Yet there is a prohibition on using God's name thoughtlessly up there at Number 3 in the 10 Commandments. Why is it such a big deal? Apart from the obvious (disrespect towards the Lord of the Universe, Author of Life, Saviour of the World, &c), misusing anyone's name undermin