AND so we come to Pentecost – the Feast that the Jews kept to celebrate the final coming in of the harvest. In the book of Acts Luke writes that the disciples were gathered in one place awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s doubtful they even had an inkling of what to expect […]
Easter Day 12 April 2020 (via Zoom) Acts 10:34-43 Gentiles Hear the Good News 34 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, […]
Second of Lent (Year A) St John and St Stephen’s 8 March 2020 Genesis 12:1-4a: The Call of Abram Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and […]
Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration 17Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then […]
Sermon 3rd before Lent, year A, 09.02.20. Matthew 5:13-20 Salt and Light 13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 ‘You are the light of the world. A […]
Epiphany 2A: John 1:29-42 (& Isaiah 49:1-7) The Lamb of God 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was […]
Christmas Morning talk, St John and St Stephen’s, 2019. Luke 2:1-14 Play turtle dove track – who can identify this? You might wonder why we’re listening to a call of a turtle dove – if there’s any vague link with Christmas?! On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: […]
St John and St Stephen, Advent 2A. Isaiah 11:1-10 7 Matthew 3:1-12. December 8, 2019. Isaiah 11. A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. On this Second Sunday in Advent I wonder: What might God be saying to us through the image […]
Second Sunday before Advent,17.11.19 Malachi 4: The Great Day of the Lord & Luke 21: 5-19: The Destruction of the Temple Foretold Today Jesus tells it as it is – something we can be poor at in religious life, full as we often are of ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’. The invitation to look at the wonders […]
Eucharist, St John’s and St Stephen’s 27 October, end of Creation Season. Joel 2:23-end & Luke 18:9-14 The last Sunday in October is traditionally Reformation Sunday. So perhaps it’s fitting that we think today about a parable of Jesus addressed to ‘some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous’. This little parable, which […]