St John and St Stephen’s Zoom Church, Reading, January 17th 2021, Epiphany 2
1 Samuel 3:1-10, The call of Samuel ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’ I love this story. Samuel is a young boy, left in the care of the elderly priest Eli at the temple. These were dark days for Israel, still a tribe without a king, pummelled and subdued by the surrounding kingdoms. […]
Sermon for Epiphany 1B: Baptism of Christ 10.01.21
Zoom Church St John and St Stephen’s, Reading Acts 19:1-7 19While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a […]
Advent 4B St John & St Stephen’s Reading. 20.12.20
Romans 16: 25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the […]
Sunday 13th December – Advent 3
[opening text] “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoner to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour…” [Innoculation picture] […]
Advent 2B – Sunday 6th December 2020
Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make […]
Advent Sunday – 29th November 2020
Mark 13.24-27 Happy New Year! Advent marks the start of the church new year. Our 3 year lectionary covers a different gospel each year. It’s Year B now and we move to the gospel of Mark. We’re near the end of that gospel this morning in what is sometimes called ‘the little apocalypse’, or bible-speak […]
Last Sunday before Advent, Christ the King, 22nd November 2020 Sheep and Goats
Matthew 25vv31-46 Last week, Claire looked at the Parable of the Talents. Three slaves are given large amounts of money by their master while he goes away. This parable has traditionally taken to be about how we should respond to the gifts and talents that God gives us. Claire was struck by how unsympathetic […]
Second Sunday before Advent, November 15th 2020
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 5Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, […]
Sermon on the Mount /Beatitudes – Sunday 8th November 2020
Matthew 5: 1-16 If you have been connected with the church for any length of time you will be familiar with this gospel passage you will have heard it read and preached on probably a large number of times. This is the start of Jesus discourse of the Sermon on the Mount. The text is […]
